Two paramedics lost in Mirkwood!
by Ladystarlet09
Summary: Two women who are train EMT's stumble across a injured man dressed in strange clothes during a stormy night in New York City. They tend to his wounds only to find themselves magically transported to a completely different world with no technology. They soon find out that they have saved a Woodland prince, but his father is all, but receptive towards the strange women & their skills
1. Chapter 1

**_(Strange Meetings)_**

"Christine, how much longer do you think we will be dealing with all this rain while we sit here and wait for a call to come through the radio?" EMT Paramedic Lana Rollans sighed as she stared out their paramedic truck. It was a rainy night in New York City. Usually during the nightshifts, Christine and her would be getting calls every hour of someone who needed medical emergency. But tonight, with all of the heavy thunderstorms and constant downpours, it looked like it was going to be one hell of a quite night.

 _"Medic truck 82."_ Their radio suddenly came blaring on before Christine could reply to her partner's question. "We have a white male with multiple stab wounds located at central park station. He needs immediate medical attention."

" Copy. Code blue, we are enroute as we speak." Lana responded as she flipped the sirens and started heading towards Central Park. "Please advise new York med that we will be arriving within fifteen minutes after picking up victim."

 _"Copy that 82."_

 _"_ This rain is sure heavy as hell." Christine said as she entered the information of their victim. "Lets hope things don't get any worse after this call tonight because we have hella more hours to go before dawn approaches."

Lana laughed out loud. "You have one hell of a sure way to keep things into perspective, Chris. I have often wondered what would happen if I didn't have you as my EMT partner."

"Probably being chased by hella fine looking EMT males." Christine laughed as they approached the main area that led into Central Park. Thunder rolled loudly from above as lightning struck across the night sky like small thin string being connected.

They came to a stop near some trees. Lara jumped out of the truck, squinting under the downpour while her partner grabbed the gurney and medical supply bag from the bag. "I think I see him." She shouted over the noise of the rain and thunder, pointing to a lone man laying in a grove of trees, unresponsive. "But I don't see anyone else."

"Okay, lets get him strapped and in for transport." Christine yelled back as she hurried beside Lana. "We shouldn't be out in this rain anyway, but we have a oath and job to do for the sick and injured."

The two EMT's hurried along the path, slightly grateful that the trees offered some sort of shelter from the rain as they approached the victim. "Hey sir, are you alright?" Lara called as they came closer to him. The man was dressed strangely in brown and green clothing, brown sued boots with a white bow that was near his hand and two bloodied curved daggers with ivory handles attached to a empty quiver. Christine motioned for Lana to be very cautious as they knelt beside him.

"Hey, can you hear us?" She said while they turned him over. What they expected to see what nothing like anything or anyone else they had seen before in their life. Long silver white hair fell about her hands as a beautiful face came into view, so perfect with high cheekbones, fair lips and white skin that appeared to be almost glowing faintly under the soft glare of the park lamps above.

But the most strangest of features of them all, was his ears.

Two pointy ears to be exact.

"Um, I don't think we are dealing with just any victim here." Lana managed to say after a speechless moment. She had been staring for so long at this man's perfect face that she had almost failed to notice multiple stab wounds about his lower torso. "Lets get him on a gurney and into the truck first before we start triage."

"Got it." Christine breathed. She shook herself out of her own initial shock and jumped back into her job's role. They hooked an IV bag to his arm and slid him onto the gurney before rolling him swiftly towards the waiting ambulance. Christine had good mind of grabbing the bow that fell from his slack fingers and placing it beside him as she jumped into the truck. "Lana, I need for you to grab some sterile gauze and wrap while I get him stabilized here."

"But what about taking him to New York med? Won't they be questioning his appearance?" Lara replied as she proceeded to hand over the needed supplies to her partner. "I hate to say this, but those ears are pretty real."

"Well lets worry about attending to these lacerations first before we even think about bringing him in." Christine replied curtly as she went to work lifting up the man's shirt. She found over twenty different stab wounds over various parts of his chest and stomach, but somehow none of them had come into contact with any of his vital organs.

The man stirred, murmuring something in a strange foreign tongue as she started to apply the gauze to his wounds. _"Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie?"_

"What did he say?" Chrstine asked without looking up from her work.

"I'm not too sure. I don't recognize the language." Lana replied, perplexed as she applied the EKG patched to his chest. "His pulse is stable, but I'm afraid his BP is too low."

"Well get him started one five milligrams of ibuprofen to prevent fever and two mills on Vicodin to help keep the pain level down."

"Got it."

The rain seemed to have become more harder as the sounds of it falling sounded like loud drums being beaten upon the truck. The two paramedics worked on stitching all of the major lacerations to avoid him to bleed out before checking his vital signs.

Now it was all a matter of bringing him in.

"So what now, Christine?" Lana asked while she hopped into the driver seat. "We still need him to be treated at the hospital."

Christine stared at their patient, frowning. "I don't know." She replied honestly as she continued to wrap gauze around his lower torso.

Suddenly there was a loud crashing noise outside the truck and then a blinding white light as lighting came down upon the whole truck and its occupants. Both women let out screams of alarms as they felt their truck suddenly begin to spin wildly out of control. "WHAT THE FUCKING IS GOING ON?" Christine yelled as she tried to keep the injured man from rolling side to side. "Hold on Lana!" She cried as the whole truck spun faster and faster, the metal heating up as the lighting continued to engulf it.

Lana could only stare out of her window, wide eyed as she found herself starting in a multiple area of colors amide the bright flash. Her stomach was heaving as well as her heart as the truck suddenly stopped spinning and fell like a tone of brick against something. Lana hit her head upon the wheel hard, blacking out on impact while Christine and their patient were thrown backward out of the truck into blackness.

* * *

"Lana, wake up!" Someone called out to her in her dream. "Wake up, you have to see this!"

"Hmmph?" Lana slowly opened her eyes with a low groan as small stabs of pain began to assault her eyes and head. She opened one eye to find bright sunlight cascading through the right passenger side window. She shut her eye, groaning even more so as she found that her whole bottom ribs hurt as well. "What happened?" She said through clinched teeth. "My head hurts so much."

"I know. I treated your small head wound but you don't have any concussions, thank god." Christine replied as she helped her partner out of the driver seat. "But you need to see this."

"See what?" Lana asked as she allowed herself to be led outside the truck. She stopped cold and gasped at what she saw next.

Their patient who they had found and responded to was still strapped to the gurney but was now alert. Christine had propped him up into a slight sitting position. But it what was around them that caught the EMT's attention. Bright sunlight fell through tall green trees that swayed this way and that with small gusts of wind, birds chirping loudly as small animals ran there and there. Lana saw that they were within a large grove of green grace and flowers. The air was crisp and cold to her nostrils as she took a deep breath to make sure that she wasn't dead. "Where are we?" She whispered while taking a few steps forward until she was beside the strange man. She looked up to find herself staring into sky blue eyes. "Who are you?"

"My name is Legolas, m'lady." He replied with a slight incline of his head. "I have to thank you and your fellow healer of finding me and treating my wounds, though I'm not so sure how you two came to be here."

"Legolas has been explaining to us that we somehow have landed in his father's kingdom in another world which makes him a prince." Christine replied while crossing her arms over her chest. She tossed her long poneytail to the other shoulder. "I was going to wake you earlier, but he told me to let you rest. I'm still suffering from shock as well, don't get me wrong." She added when she saw her partner frown. "But if you are alive, he's alive and talking and I'm standing here listening to what he has to say, then we must be still alive as shit."

"This has to be a joke!" Lana laughed with a hysteric choke. She glanced back at the man. "And I think you must be an actor and we are just someplace else in New York."

"Well I'm not sure where this New York place is, but I am telling you the whole truth when I said you guys came here by some higher power to this place. I remember fighting a huge orc pack deep within the edge of Mirkwood when I became heavily wounded by their weapons and I soon found myself slipping into a deep cavern that didn't seem to end. I only remember that and then waking up to finding your partner tending to my wounds here." He smiled kindly at Christine. "Thank you again to you both and your fine healing skills."

Lana found herself siting on the bumper of the ambulance as she tried very hard to accept everything that this man just said. "So if we are no longer in our world, then how do we get back?"

His beautiful face became sad. "I'm not sure." He replied softly. Suddenly, there was a sound of something dry breaking and swift footsteps could be heard. Christine grabbed one of Legolas daggers and tossed him the other one while standing protectively in front of both him and Lana. Several tall shadows appeared around the edge of the grove before they took shape of tall slender people with similar built as Legolas. They all hailed in shock and joy at the sight of him and hurried forwarded, but Christine blocked their way.

"Stay back!" She growled. Almost immediately before she could even blink, she found up to eighteen bows being pulled directly at her.

 _"_ _Tampa! en lausta mellon!"_ (Stop! They are our friends) Legolas cried. _"Melloni!"_

The elves glanced up at him doubtfully but did as he asked. One of them, a tall black haired elf dressed in all brown, approached the woman. "Tell us your names and then perhaps we shall talk peace, woman." He said in the common tongue. "And what is this strange entrapment do you have our prince restrained to or this strange carriage?" He glanced in wonder at the ambulance as well as the other mortal woman who was by now staring with wide eyes that only grew bigger by the moment.

"My name is Christine John and this is my paramedic partner, Lana Rollans. We found your prince here." She gestured towards Legolas. "In our own world and somehow he and us two were transported here to this world. This carriage you see here is our mode of transportation to getting the sick from one area to the next."

The look of doubt didn't leave the dark haired elf, but he didn't appear to distrustful either. He looked over at Legolas. "Is this true? We took you for dead when we couldn't find your body down that stone cavarn."

"Yes, its true, Gruivuen." Legolas replied with a small yawn. "They are very finely skilled healers and are lost here. They may need the aid of my father if they are to ever find their way back home and perhaps others as well." He nodded off on the last part of his sentence. The elves broke out in verbal alarm as they cried for him to wake back up.

Lana rushed over and checked his pulse before giving a sigh of relief. "He is still stable. I think he just needs to sleep off all the drugs we gave him to treat his wounds." She told Christine. She jumped when she heard the beeping sound of the EKG machine. She glanced down to find it sitting beside him on the gurney, showing stable pulse and BP. "Weird." She told herself. "If are indeed in another world, why is our equipment still working?" She checked her phone and it wasn't working with only a busy signal but her watch was.

"Are you getting the same thing, Christine?"

"Yeah. Strange isn't it?" The other woman replied with a laugh.

The elves murmured among themselves before turning back to their leader who was regarding everything keenly. He wasn't too sure what was going on, but if Legolas was saying everything was true about these women and where they came from, then he had no other choice but to trust the prince's word and bring them back to be judged by king Thranduil. He let out a sigh and prayed to the Valar that their king would be willing to show as much kindness and good judgment upon them as his son had. "Come, we all must head back to the city before nightfall. These woods are often not safe at night." He motioned for them to get moving. "Transport him as you see fit as long as it doesn't cause much ruckus to cause the enemy to turn their attention on us."

The women exchanged looks. "Er, well about that." Lana started slowly, pointing a finger at their transporter. "This thing gets rather loud when we start her up."

"Then do so and lets get going." He replied before turning his attention back to his fellow warriors. He gave quiet instruction before sending three swiftly ahead. He watched the women reload the prince back into the strange carriage before they got inside. Curious, he walked to where one of the doors closed and jumped back when it suddenly let out a loud roar before becoming to a quite humming noise. He held up a hand to prevent the other archers from firing arrows. "Its okay, it won't harm you as long as the prince is safe." He told them in their own tongue. "Just lead the way back to the city."

Christine rolled down her window and smiled at him. "Hey you, dark haired guy." She called. He stared up at her. "Yes, you." She smirked once she had his full attention. "Why don't you come up in here and join Legolas for the ride? That way you can see for yourself that we don't' mean you any harm."

"Um, sure." Gruivuen said as she opened her door and beckoned him to come in. He got inside awkwardly and shut the door behind him. Lana smiled at him as she slowly drove the ambulance forward. "Buckle your seat belt for your safety." She told him. He glanced around until Christine who was crouched between them, helped him locate the seat belt and clicked it into place for him.

"Strange but effective." He nodded while he held onto the dashboard just to be safe. "Just follow my men." He pointed towards the waiting elves as they looked back at them. He smiled to assure them that everything was okay. They frowned and he swore that some looked rather envious that he was in the strange carriage with the newcomers, but they turned back around and swiftly made their way down the secret elven pathway that would eventually lead to their city and king.

Lana hummed a small tune to herself while she drove to keep her shocked mind occupied. The dark haired elf occasionally asked her questions like where exactly was she and the other woman from and what did they do for occupations, is their world full of elves, dwarfs and men and did it look like this world that she found themselves at. She answered as best as she could but soon fell into silance as the woods went from sunny and green to dark and almost black like. The air seemed to be too stuffy to be able to breath in, but she kept the windows up to be safe as they continued their long trip to where ever these strange people were leading them.

"Strange isn't that you and I are alive in another world." She heard Christine mummer to her. "When I awoke, I thought I was dead too until I heard Legolas speak a few yards from me in that grove back there. He was very groggy and grumpy I might add, but he seemed to trust me right away once I told him that I was only there to help his wounds."

"I can't still believe we are in another world."

"But at least we have come across kind people." Christine replied before squeezing Lana's shoulder with a comforting hand and taking a seat in the back of the ambulance. "I'll keep an eye on Legolas. Just let me know when we get there."

"Will do."

Gruivuen wrung his hands in his lap. Kind wasn't the word to discribe their king. Kind yes, but only to those closest to him. Towards others, he was always alouf, calculating and cold. He kept his distance from his subjects unless needed, especially during these dark times of war within the kingdom, fighting spiders, orcs, trolls and wargs. The king didn't take kindly to outsiders, so it concern the elven captain how he would be receptive towards these kind women who helped practically save his only son's life.

 _I will need to be a good vouch for them if things decide to go south with the king._ He thought to himself inwardly. Because he had a bad feeling that since his son's strange diappearnce after that small skirmish with a band of raiding orcs, he wasn't going to be in a very good mood when he finds that his son didn't come home alone.

And with two mortal women and this strange magical carriage for that matter.


	2. Chapter 2

**_(That didn't go over so well...)_**

The ambulance pulled up before two stone gates which were slowly drawn open to allow it to got through with the patrol. Lana drove forward with a feeling of uneasiness. Her eyes scanned the area to find it filled with many more of the "woodland elves" as their ridding companion called himself and his people. Everyone stopped whatever it was they were doing to stare with open shock and scared looks as he directed her to drive towards an open courtyard. Once she was there, she killed the engine and placed her head upon the wheel. It was spinning out of control and her breathing was becoming shallow.

"Lana, we still have to deal with Legoals and I'm afraid we will need to keep him on the gurney." Christine spoke up suddenly.

The elf captain nodded in agreement. "We have healors already here to take him to the healing wards, Christine. I will tell them to take you with them along with whatever you need from here so you can continue to treat him."

"But what about my partner? I just leave her to be eaten by your king." She said stubbornly while casting a look of concern at Lana's still form. "Let me go in her stead." She suggested firmly. "Lana has been through a lot more shock then I have. I don't think she is in any condition to face anymore from your strange culture and people at the moment."

"Are you sure?" He asked with surprise at how brave this mortal woman who was going to face his cold king. "I will warn you that he doesn't take well to mortals."

"Then he will have no once choice but to hear me out once I tell him that I and Lana saved his son's life!" The woman snapped while pushing the ambulance door open. She didn't pay any mind to the hundreds of thousands of eyes that stared at her back as she pulled Legolas out. Several white robed women with fair faces hurried over once they spotted Legolas. They gave her strange looks but none were hostile as the dark haired elf captain ordered them to allow her partner to come with them to the rooms of healing.

"I will personally face the king for this, if need be." He said to their shock. "Just allow her to go." He glanced back inside to find Lana still siting in the driving seat. He gently place his hand over hers. "Lana? Can you go with our prince and tend to him?"

She looked up at him. "Me?"

He smiled at the innocence of her question. "Yes, you. Your friend here is going with me to see the king in your stead. She believes you need some healing as well and that you can tend to the prince with your healing items amid the healers. Who knows? Maybe you might find some of our kin might need your skills as well."

Lana bit her upper lip, uncertain. But her oaths took her consious better then her own inner fear. She still had to tend to Legolas, no matter the situation until he was better. They did save his life, so what was there to fear?

"Alright." She sighed while grabbing the keys from the ignition. She packed several large equipment into a large duffel bag along with some IV fluids, the still beeping EKG, some basic medical supplies and gloves before shutting the double doors and locking the whole thing. She was going to hold onto everything, but two tall male elves stepped forward and offered to carry her things for her. Christine smiled and gave her a tight hug.

"It's going to be okay, Lana." She whispered in her ear. "Let me deal with the talking with this kid's king and hopefully we shall get some rest."

"You be safe." Lana said as she started to push the gurney in the direction that the healers were heading towards. Christine gave her a curt nod before turning towards Gruivuen who was busy talking to his men. Once he was done, he motioned for her to follow him up a long winding path that led upwards. "This is going to the king's throne. If you get tired along the way, just let me know and we can allow you some rest." He said kindly.

"Okay. Lets get this done." She replied with a look of determination.

* * *

If looks could kill, Christine was sure the one she was getting from this beyond beautiful king with his long silver hair and deep blue eyes could have done her in long time ago.

And it didn't help that he was looking very beautiful while being angry.

 _More like extremely angry was a better way to describe it._

"So you expect me to believe that you and your fellow partner just happened to drop into this world with my son in tow? Just like that?"

"Well we couldn't just leave your son lying in his own pool of blood!" She cried, deeply offended that he wasn't even listening to what she had been arguing for the past hour. "I know that we must be very strange to you and look ever more stranger, but I'm telling the truth when Lana and I mean your people no harm! Why can't you even believe us?"

The fair face of Thranduil didn't show any empathy as he stared down at the mortal woman with cold blue eyes. "You two are witches! You have bewitched my son and now my own captain of the guard. Until you are ready to tell me the truth, you and this Lana girl shall stay in my dungeons until you confess!" He said while motioning for the guards to step forward. "Take this woman and her companion to the dungeons until I call for them. I don't want them near my son from now on." He ordered before waving them dismissively before turning his face.

"If you take us away from your son, who will administer the medicine we gave him? Who will keep watch over his vital signs and IV bags?" Christine yelled as she was forcibly dragged by the arms with the guards. "Lana and I are the only ones who can do it and you know it deep down, Thranduil! If he dies, it will by your own doing!"

Thranduil didn't give any indication that he heard her words. Once she was fully gone and his throne room was silent once again, he turned his attention to his head captain, Gruivuen. "How can you possibly believe that woman's lies?"

"Lies, My king?" The captain replied with a small cough. "What lies was she speaking of when you saw the truth in her eyes? I saw the prince for myself and spoke to him face to face. He told me that they had saved him from dying from his own wounds. If it wasn't for them finding him when they did, you would be without your only child. Please, you may get mad at me all you want for being 'bewitched' by those woman, but I saw no evil in either one's heart or mind."

The elven king strummed his fingers upon the smooth surface of his throne as he thought what Gruivuen has just said. "Then I will summon them again in the morning." He said finally while getting to his feet. "I shall now see my son."

"My lord, even though the girls have given him some minor care, they are correct in saying that he may not survive the night if you don't let them continue to administer their medicine." He ventured to say as the king slowly walked down his throne steps.

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do when it comes to the well being of my own son!" The king sneered. "I shall do what I please. So if you so much say another word about what that witch said, I shall have you demoted and join them in the dungeons as well!" He walked out of the room, roaring for a guard to join him on the way to the healing ward.

"Valar help us all!" Gruivuen growled, his fingers slowly turning into fists. "Sometimes I wonder if the king has lost his mind over rational thinking!"

Meanwhile down in the dungeons, Lana was being dragged between four guards as she fought to get free of them. "LET ME GO!" She screamed at the top of her voice. "You can't just drag me away from an injured patient such as himself. He needs my help and no one else can administer the medicine and keep an eye on his vital signs!"

None listened to her as they continued down the long stairs until they came to one of them and unlocked it before thrusting her in rudely and slamming it in place. Lana grabbed the bars. "Come back here!" She yelled as they started to leave. "He is going to die! Don't you understand a word that I am speaking?"

"Stop your yelling, Lana. They won't listen to you thanks to his royal asshole." A quite voice replied behind her.

Lana whirled around to find herself looking at a dejected Christine. "Chris!" She cried, rushing forward to hug her partner. "Why are we in here?"

The look on Christine's face pretty much explained it, but she spoke up anyway. "Let's just say it didn't go so well during negotiations with the king. Sure he is as fair as his own son, if not more handsome and tall, but his manners are badly lacking when it comes to those who are in need of his aid. I told him everything that there is to know about you and I, where we came from, what happened when we found his injured son, how we came here and that we are stuck. But what does that asshole decide to say? He calls you and me witches! Accusing us of bewitching his injured son and his captain." She crossed her arms with an angry look in her eyes. "So if Legolas dies tonight without us there to properly keep his vitals up and his wounds from hemorrhaging, it will be his father's fault, not ours."

"So what now?"

"We wait until they need our help."

Lana found a warm blanket on the stone bench which Christine was siting upon. She wrapped around her partner's shoulders before taking a seat by the bars. If they had to play the waiting game, then so be it. She shut her eyes finally and whispered a small prayer for Legolas' recovery before allowing sleep to take a hold of her body and mind. It had been too much of a long evening with plenty of shocks that would have otherwise caused permanent trauma to the mind and body, but at least it wasn't raining anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

**_* I don't own any of the LOTR characters. Lana and Chrstine and Oc is of my own creation.-Ladystarlet09_**

 ** _(Near-Lost Is One Of The Greatest Tragedies)_**

Thranduil silently stood in the royal wing area of the house of healing that housed his injured son. The woodland prince had been removed from the gurney and placed upon a bed, but the vital sign equipment that was used by the two women were still attached to his body, including the IV bag which hung from a high wooden pole beside the bed. Legolas hadn't stirred since his Ada entered the room. The skilled healers had assured the king that his son was resting, but the king saw otherwise thanks to the paler pallor of Legolas and the fainter illumination of his inner fiea.

His lips became thin as remembered Christine's angry words at him as he watched her being dragged off to the dungeons.

 _"If you take us away from your son, who will administer the medicine we gave him? Who will keep watch over his vital signs and IV bags?...Lana and I are the only ones who can do it and you know it deep down, Thranduil! If he dies, it will by your own doing!"_

The king slowly approached his son's bedside and laid a hand upon his brow. He drew it back sharply when he felt the unusual amount of heat radiating from his skin. It felt as if his brow was on fire at the touch. "Legolas?" Thranduil called to his son. "You have to wake up." He shook the young prince, but he didn't get any reply save a small groaning noise as sweat began to break out upon his fair brow.

"What is going on with Legolas?" He called to the nearest healer. "Why does he burn so bad like this?" The king's blue eyes became hard with anger as one of the female healers did her best to now cower under his accusing glare.

"My king, the girl Lana had been treating him as best as she could while her partner was conversing with you. She gave him strange medicine while we administered ours. But nothing seemed to be working once we took notice of the fever. We gave him the usual herbs to help bring it down but he seems to be much too weak to even want to swallow anything."

"What about his wounds?" He asked, turning back to Legolas with a feeling of panic starting to grip his heart, though he didn't allow anyone see what he was feeling outwardly. "The other one said that they had treated those as well."

"Yes, but she only stitched the major injuries together to prevent him from bleeding out. He still does slightly from the smaller ones, but I fear perhaps an infection is starting settle upon him." She replied while applying some cold cloths against Legolas' head. "There isn't much we can do but pray to the Valar that they spare your son, my king."

"I can feel him slowly fading through our joined bond." Thranduil whispered more to himself then to anyone else in the room. He fell to his knees while holding tightly to his son's limp hands as bitter tears began to fall from his eyes.

Why were they punishing him like this? What wrong did he, the powerful, cold and ever vigilant king of the woodland realm, ever go to have his son be taken away from him like this?

After the untimely death of his queen and mother of his only child, Thranduil took it upon himself to raise Legolas by himself while managing the ever present affairs of his kingdom and outside resources that went beyond the boarders. His precious elfling grew fast under his Ada's careful upbringing, but at the same time he always made sure to show extra love and care when they were alone during their rare private moments. But even such tender moments had their darker time as well. Especially when bitter words between father and son often flew when Thranduil refused Legolas to go deeper into Mirkwood to hunt down orcs and spider nests without the proper royal guard.

The night before Legolas had gone missing, they had exchanged heated words with one another over how they should send larger patrols over a bigger part of the forest to help keep the orcs that were daring to raid ever close towards the kingdom at bay.

 _"Its too dangerous and I cannot afford to spare our very best soldiers to do a job that mere lower ranked warrior can do, Legolas! This is such an absurd request coming from my very child."_

 _"But Ada, I'm not a mere elfling anymore! I'm almost going to be three thousand and hundred five years old! How can you be so blind to the aid that our kin seek who are still stuck outside these defenses? For almost five hundred years we have been driving orcs left and right, but now that the darkness over our kingdom grow even more darker, I fear that we are starting to become weak in the areas that we are needed most."_

 _"Enough! I said no and you are not allow to defy my orders!"_

The king still shook at the memory when he remembered the somber looks of the patrol he had sent after discovering his son wasn't lingering within the kingdom's defenses. They had all been very quite and ill at ease when giving the report that his son had fallen somehow down a stone cavern that laid far to the east of his kingdom during a fight with a rather large orc pack that came through it. They had managed to kill every one of the orcs, but there was no sign of the prince or his body.

Days passed into weeks and still there wasn't any sign of his little Greenleaf until earlier this afternoon when a runner came bursting into a private meeting with war generals and Thranduil, exclaiming that his son had finally been found and was safe. The king was very happy and overwhelmed with relief that his son had been found alive, but that feeling turned back to his usual cold and suspicious self when the runner explained that he wasn't alone and that there were two strangely dressed mortal women who came in a strange carriage. He also said that his head captain, Gruivuen was bringing them with Legolas to be judged if they were friend or foe.

And after personally hearing one of the mortal women's wild story of being from another world, their high skill in some strange magical technology and medicine that even he couldn't understand, and then how angry she became when he ordered to be tossed into his dungeons; everything sounded unreal and completely impossible to him.

 _"Lies, My king?...What lies was she speaking of when you saw the truth in her eyes? I saw the prince for myself and spoke to him face to face. He told me that they had saved him from dying from his own wounds. If it wasn't for them finding him when they did, you would be without your only child. Please, you may get mad at me all you want for being 'bewitched' by those woman, but I saw no evil in either one's heart or mind."_

The king's hand slowly turned into a fist. No, they were witches! Look how weak and defenseless his son lay before his very eyes, his inner light fading slowly under the cover of the night sky while his own Ada stood helplessly by his side.

"My king?" Gruivuen spoke up softly from the doorway. "I'm not sure if you will allow me to speak so forwardly to you, but I think its best that you bring the two women up here to tend to your son. They were the first to tend to him, so I believe they would be one who hold's his life in their hands."

"So since when does the head captain of my guard questions his king about the affairs of his own kingdom?" Thranduil said coldly without looking behind himself. He moved towards an open window that overlooked parts of the city below them. "I can make my own decisions." He added in a lower tone.

"My king! Something is wrong with Legolas!" He heard the main healer cry out in alarm. Turning swiftly around, he found the strange box beeping rapidly and irregularly as his son began to shake violently, his whole body contorting this way and that as seizures began to get a hold of him. Gruivueng grabbed the prince's head between his hand to prevent him from biting his tongue while four other male healer came forward to retrain him. The king's eyes were wide with fear as he stared at his son who was still wildly convulsing as white forth began to pour from the corners of his mouth.

"MY KING!" Gruivuen yelled angrily at him, heedless of being subjected to possible demotion or even death after the end of all of this. "We need those women here now! If we can't save your son, they can!"

Thranduil only stood there with a daze look upon his stricken fair face as dozen of his people stared beseechingly up at him to make the right choice.

But how does he know if he can trust two women who are not familiar with his culture or kin? He had already lost his wife to his own murderous brother many years ago a few months after Legolas was born. Thranduil only trusted maybe two or three of his closest subjects outside of Gruivuen, with his precious child's life. If the dark lord decided to rise again and bring all of his forces against his kingdom, Thranduil would be more the willing to sacrifice his people as well as his own to save Legolas.

* * *

Christine was fast asleep beside Lana when something loud suddenly jolted her awake. She woke up with a sharp cry of alarm when a pair of hands roughly grabbed a hold of her arms. Lana was similarly handled as well as she fell to the floor. A torch was brought in by a red haired elven male guard and four of his fellow warriors. Apparently two had entered the cell and were proceeding to tie the women's hands behind their backs before they were hulled to their feet.

"The king calls for you." The red haired guard said in the common tongue. They stared up at him in bewilderment "You are to do exactly as he says or your lives will be forfeited immediately upon the spot."

"What time is it?" Lana asked as they were pushed into motion with the guards following them from behind.

"Its past midnight."

"Something doesn't feel right, Lana." Christine whispered out the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were grim along with her facial expression. "It must be the son."

A lump formed in Lana's throat as she remembered how feverish Legolas had been despite administering more ibuprofen to bring it down. At almost 99.8 F, she was worried sick about him lasting the rest of the night with the stab wounds that still laid untreated yet. It only got worse when the royal guards had suddenly appeared in the healing room and forced her to step away from the prince at sword point before they dragged her off to join Christine in that forsaken place.

They were taken through several corridors that led back to the healing area. The whole place was crowded with curious elves, healers, guards and others that were crowded around the double open doors. They all parted like the red sea as the EMT women came into view with the royal guards.

"Everyone is to stay outside and not interfere upon the pain of death by the king!" The red haired captain announced before slamming the doors shut behind them. Christine and Lana both gasped in horror at what they were looking at upon the bed.

Legolas was still being restrained by the healors and Gruivuen, but his skin was a ugly reddish purple color in the areas where his wounds were located and his mouth was still frothing with white foam. Apparently they had stripped his body and cut around the area where the IV tube hung, but the bag was empty and the EKG was beeping wildly. His BP levels were dropping rapidly as well as his pulse levels to a dangerous low.

"Cut our bonds!" Christine yelled frantically as her mind began to race ahead with all the possibilities what was happening to Legolas. Lana was struggling as well with hers as the guards silently held her in place, no moving.

"Goddamit! Do you want us to save him or not!?" They both cried in unison.

"I am taking a great chance by allowing you to tend to my dying son." King Thrandiul's smooth voice suddenly spoke from within the shadows of the room. The women stopped struggling with their guards and turned to find him slowly emerging, dressed in only a plain blue shirt and brown pants with black boots. No crown adorned his fair head. Then again, there was no need considering the powerful aura he was emitting within the room itself.

Lana's mouth hung wide open as she stared up at a slightly older version of Legolas. So this was the arrogant elf king that Christine had told her about earlier. His blue eyes fell upon hers for a moment and she resisted the urge to look away as his critical stare moved up and down her body before refocusing on her face.

"You were the one tending to my son, were you not, woman?" He stated without any polite greeting. Like she would even accept on now that she heard his stupid arrogance for herself. She lifted her chin up at him, her green eyes flashing her displeasure.

"Yes, I was until your men tore me from your son's side when he needed me the most." She shot back angrily. "I may not know the anatomy of your people or the culture, but we all speak one need when danger lurks nearest to us."

"And what exactly is this so-called need you speak of?" He openly challenged Lana while taking a few steps towards her until he stood but a foot away from Lana. Christine was verbally having a heated argument with a female healer off the side, aware of what was going on within that moment. "Danger lurks everywhere we are, even within these stone walls, it lurks around my people and my family." He continued, narrowing his eyes.

"The need is healing, my king." Lana managed to reply calmly. Her gaze strayed beyond his shoulder at his injured son. "He needs our skills and perhaps if you allow us to combine it with that of your most highly skilled healers, maybe we might have a good chance of saving Legolas." She looked back directly into Thranduil's eyes. "But you have to trust me and my partner completely." She squared her shoulders, trying to make herself appear taller then her mere five foot two inches against his six foot four.

Thranduil raised a hand and lifted her face up at him with a slender finger. "If you and Christine fail to save my only child's life, I shall personally be the one to carry out your death sentence by my hand and sword." He told her in a very soft, but cold voice that sent shivers down her spine. He dropped his hand and nodded towards his guards. "Free their hands and stand by the door. They will need all the room they can get."

Once their hands were free, both women burst into motion at once. "Lana, I need for you to put in another IV bag on him and then hand me the surgical supplies in the red bag that we keep on hand." Christine ordered as she pushed the healers to one side. "I need hot water and cloths." She told them. Gruivuen translated what she had said and several rushed out of the room. Lana detached the empty IV bag and put another on the line. She glanced down at Legolas's wounds that began seeping with a strange yellow liquid. "Whats going on with his wounds?" She said while drawing on gloves. Christine began snipping at the stitches with a pair of scissors. Blood sprayed onto her uniform, but she didn't pay any mind while focusing on the task at hand.

"I'm not sure, but we need to get his vitals stable first." She replied. "Surgical mask."

"Here, got it." Lana helped her put it one before doing the same with herself. Everyone in the room were like motionless statues as the two women worked on their prince. The doors burst open once again as the healers returned with buckets of hot water and lots of towels in their arms. They deposited them onto a nearby table that had been dragged near Christine. She motioned for them to place the hot water near her feet.

"Give Legolas 20 mills of Barbiturates, Lana. Let's hope that will stabilize him enough while I administer local anesthesia."

Lana pulled out a vial of the Barbiturates and punched sterilized syringe. She put the dosage into the IV before checking the EKG. The erratic beeping began to go from rapid to stable as his BP levels and pulse went back to normal. She could feel his father's keen eyes penetrate her back, but she didn't let it bother her as her expert hands when through the automatic motion of working on the dying elf prince. "Don't die on us, dammit!" She told Legolas under her breath. "You must live."

Christine carefully removed all of the stitches and tossed them onto a silver platter that one of the healers had provided for her. She sterlized the whole area of his upper and lower torso with Benzine and hydrogen peroxide. "Okay, first thing we need to do is hook him up to an perfusion pump. You can work on it while I check to see what is causing all of this yellow fluid to appear. Put a endotracheal tube down his throat and attach it to the perfusion. I'm going to have one of the healers hand me the need sugical instruments."

"So basically we are going to operate on him?" Lana stated as she rummaged through their medical bag for the endotracheal tube. "I didn't you could do that."

"I'v been working hard on my doctorate degree in adult surgical procedures." Christine replied as she made a small ensition with her medical scalpel to help widen the wounds for a cleaner cut. Yellow pus and fluid began to seep out from the wounds. "I also need a suction tube as well. We will need hook it to the emergency generator that you brought in."

"I'm two steps ahead of you, Chris." Lana hooked the needed impliments and beckoned for one of the female healers to come over. "Here, I will direct you what needs to happen." She said handing the suction tube towards the shaking elleth. "I know you may be feeling strange with all you are seeing before you, but trust me when I tell you its the only way we are going to save your king's son."

"How am I going to know I'm doing it correctly, My lady?" The elleth healer asked as she moved beside the woman. "I'v never seen such things."

"I'll tell you what to do, but I must keep his oxygen going with this pump here by hand." Lana replied, motioning to the big blue pump she was rhythmic squeezing with her hand. "You got this."

"Okay, I need that suction right here." Christine pointed at the largest wound she was working on. "Just hold it down where I have my scalpel until I say done."

"As you wish." The elleth replied with a determine look. She held in place, marveling at how much of the yellow fluid was rapidly expelling from the wounds. Christine waited until almost all of the pus was fully drained before telling to lift it. She peered inside and found that there several fragments of some kind of metal embedded deep within the muscle. "Forceps." She called while twisting two large forceps scissors to widen the wound. "What is his EKG levels, Lara?"

"128/29 with pulse at normal 150. Stable but they may drop lower the longer we are working on him."

"Then we need to work fast. I have only one pair of hands."

"Let us help you with the work." Three male healers spoke up. She glanced up to find them wearing open expression of concern on their fair faces. "Just tell us what you need for us to do and we will do it. We all have cared for the prince ever since he was born. This is a good way to us to show him how much we really care and love him."

"Okay, of you take over the pump where Lana is at. You there with the brown shirt can help me by handing over the wet clothes, the rest of you scrub up and be prepared for helping with this operation. Lana, are going to help with administrating the needed medicine."

* * *

 _ **~4 hours later~**_

"His vitals are dropping rapidly, Chris! Administering manual CPR!" Lana yelled as she began to perform CPR. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." She repeated the chant for another 20 seconds before switching with Christine. Everyone eyes were glued on the EKG as the BP and pulse pressure rapidly began deflating to flat lines.

"Switch!" Christine ordered while she checked his heart with her stethoscope. Thranduil had become very still as his face became racked with pure pain. Everyone had been working on draining all of the toxic infectious fluids from his son's body as well as removing fragments of the swords that had been used by the enemy. Though none of it was poison, thank the Valar, it still caused an major infection to issue within Legolas' body overnight.

He could feel the bond of his son rapidly slip within himself. Not knowing what possessed him, he hurried to his son's side and grabbed one of his cold hands within his own. How often Legolas had held his hand so much as an elfling and still so as a fully grown adult elf. The king's heart was breaking as he watched the light of his son slowly ebb away. "My little Greenleaf," He said in the ancient tongue of their kin. "Don't leave us like this. Don't leave me like this. So many of us need you and love you too much to want to see you die in such a manner. What is going to happen to me if you allow yourself to be pulled into Mandos' halls? I shall die right here and now and then our kingdom will fall into total darkness without a strong leader to guide them. I beg of you to come back to me! Come back and live!" Thranduil broke down crying as he fell to his knees, still holding the prince's hand within his own while Lana and Christine worked on briging him back.

"Chris, I need to breath air manually into the prince's lungs. I don't think this pump is going to work if we don't have the proper equipment." Lana cried as she switched again. The EKG was still flat lining and already she could felt the coldness of a phantom blade upon the back of her neck.

"We have to try at least!" She cried desperately at her partner who was casting a doubtful look at her.

"Then do it. We have only once chance and already I have slipped 50 mills of Narcan and zolpidem into his system. I need at least two minutes tops to have it flow to his heart and get it pumping again."

"Fine." Lana began switching from CPR to bringing oxygen into Legolas by mouth to mouth resuscitation. "Breath! You have to fight this!"

The EKG was still flat lining as the two minutes ran by rapidly. Chris had sprained her left wrist while giving CPR and Lana was almost spent as she wearily continued to try and save the prince's life. "Why aren't you responding, dammit!" She cried through hot tears as she took one finale try. "Why!" She felt her partner murmurer something to her through her shocked mind, but she didn't hear anything while she continued to pump at his chest.

"Lana! Stop it, he is gone! There is nothing we can do about it." Christine spoke sharply at her while grabbing ahold of her arms and pulling her away from Legolas' still form. Lana burst out crying loudly as she allowed her partner to hug her tightly. "We did all would could for him. Perhaps this is the only way he was supposed to go."

The royal guards stepped forward to restrain the blood covered women, but a sharp command from their king stopped them mid-motion. He was still kneeling beside his son with his head pressed against Legolas' fallen arm. "They did what they could for him. There is no need for any more bloodshed tonight. Not when my son has just passed on to meet his mother and grandfather." Thranduil said between choked sobs. He sat there for a moment longer before gracefully standing to his feet, his fair face showing the thousands of years upon him as his shoulders fell with the heaviness of his heart.

He approached the two women. "Thank you for at least showing my son kindness when no other has." He said while placing his hands upon their shoulders. "I owe you a great debt for at least allowing me to trust you with what life he had left." Lana stared up into his reddened eyes. She wanted to badly hug him and tell him how much she understood the pain of losing a child, but her throat refused to work at all. Instead, more tears fell from her eyes as she watched him slowly turn away and walk out into the crowded hall.

Total silence had fallen all around them.

Christine sighed while she stripped her gloves off and tossed them into a nearby bowl that held the blood covered surgical equipment. Her mind was much to numb with sorrow to allow her to openly show her sadness, but she kept a strong front on while she watch her partner drop to the floor and cry.

Suddenly a small beeping noise broke out. Lana looked up with a tear stained face. "What was that?" She asked. It sounded again but this time with two second intivuls, one after another.

Christine's eyes fell upon the vital system that was now coming alive with beeping BP and heart rate levels. "He's alive!" She yelled, jumping forward. "Lana, continue CPR while I put one more dosage of zolpidem into his IV." She smiled up at the shocked faces of the healers and guards. "I think you guys have one hell of a tough kid here."

"He gets it from his own Ada." One of the guards replied in a daze. "King Thranduil is well known for not backing down when his back against the wall."

"Then lets up his luck runs well with his son." Christine replied while she pushed a syringe needle into the IV feeding tube. Legolas' vitals became much stronger after a few seconds had passed. Lana stopped CPR and checked his pulse manually. She smiled up at her partner. "He is becoming stable now."

"Then lets finish this operation and get him ready for the final phase that these elves can only give to him. Gruivuen go report to your king at once of this latest development. I'm sure he will want to be by his son's side once he awakens from the heavy drugs."

The head captain bowed deeply to her before swiftly exiting the room to inform the Elven king the joyous news. Everyone else went back to what they had been doing for the past four hours, hearts gladden that the prince finally decided to give his life another go.

It always took greatest tragedies to make people care about those closest to them, but sometime near-lose was all it took to emphasis the true meaning of life itself.

Once Legolas's wounds had been fully taken care of and stitched back up and the elven healors began their own magical healing process, the two female EMT's finally let out a much needed sigh of relife. One of the elleths appeared with a large silver pitcher and two silver cups in her hands. "I think you two need a much needed drink or two to help sooth your nerves and aches." She told them while leading the women to another room across the way.

There was a high burning fireplace with two clean beds and a table that had various small fruits and bread waiting for them on a silver platter. "This is some of our best wine that I thought you should try out. It will eventually make you sleep, but drink it only after you have cleansed yourselves in that adjoined bathroom in there." She pointed towards a tall wooden door that was located on the other side of the room. "There is hot running water and I can have someone bring you a basket where you can put your soiled clothes in to be washed. Fresh ones will be brought to you while you are bathing and left on your beds."

"Thank you very much for your kindness." Christine replied gratefully. Lana replied in kind as well, but the elleth waved their comments aside with a firm shake of her head.

"No, we, the people of Mirkwood as well as the king himself, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for saving his son's life. You have proven yourselves to be more then just merely skilled healers, you are also elf friends for life to us all." She replied with a huge smile. Setting the pitcher of wine and the two cups, she withdrew from the room and shut the door behind her to give them privacy.

"So you want to go first or me?" Lana laughed merrily. "I say me first because I have the more aches then you."

"Fine by me. Just be sure to not take so long, Lana." Christine replied with a roll of her shoulders. "Besides, I think its almost close to dawn, if I'm looking at my watch right." She said while glancing at her wristwatch. "Fifteen minutes and then it's my turn."

"Roger that!" Lana beamed, giving her the thumbs up while hurrying to the bathing room.

When the elleth returned to the healing room sometime later with a handwritten message from the Elven king, she found the now cleaned and dresses women fast asleep on their own beds, snoring softly away. She smiled and gently pulled their blankets around them some more before leaving the sealed envelope by the empty wine pitcher. She hurried from the room and shut the door behind her while her fellow healers asked what was going on within.

"They are asleep and shall not be disturbed in anyway until they have fully awaken whenever they do awake."She said firmly with full authority. "Now everyone back to whatever it is you were doing before hand!"

Meanwhile back in the royal healing room, Legolas now slept peacefully as his Ada kept an watchful eye upon his son. He slipped his ringed hand under his son's now warm one and sat back in his seat, waiting for the moment when his little Greenleaf was ready to awaken from his magical healing slumber.

There was so much he now owned those two women, but the king wasn't sure how he should reward them, especially that green eye one name Lana that held his full attention when he saw her bring brought in earlier. Thranduil shook his head to ride himself of such silly thoughts, but the face of Lana still lingered in the back of his mind as he kept his fatherly vigil over his son.


	4. Chapter 4

**_* I don't own any of the LOTR characters. Lana and Chrstine and Oc is of my own creation.-Ladystarlet09_**

 ** _(The Proper Way of Being a Father/King)_**

"Ada, I swear to you that I'm doing alright now." Legoals complained for the millionth time to his overprotective father/king of Mirkwood. "Lana came in here earlier this morning to take my vitals and she said I'll be up and about in a matter of a week."

"That my be true, Legolas." Thranduil frowned from a nearby chair as he stared impassively at his son. "But remember, ion min, that I cannot just allow you to just casually walk out of this kingdom after what happened to you." The king reached out and place a firm finger under his son's chin so he could look directly into his matching blue eyes. "You mean so much to me, my little Greenleaf." He said softly in Sindarin. "For almost six and half weeks I anguish and hated myself to being so unkind to you with my harsh words. If I could take back that moment when we last exchanged them, I would give anything to do so."

Legolas leaned his cheek against his father's familer warm hand like he was an elfling again, despite being well over three thousand and a quarter century old. He knew that his father only wanted to do what was best for not only their kingdom, but for him as well. Growing up as the only child within the house of Oropher was a huge responsibility and privilege that wasn't meant to be taken lightly. Perhaps if nanath had beared his father more children to be heirs to the throne, then perhaps Legolas could breath a little more easier. But such wasn't the case. King Thranduil's own brother had turned against him just a few months after Legolas was born to try and wrench the kingdom and crown away from his older brother by murdering the queen in cold blood. His uncle had been tried and sentenced to death by beheaded that was carried out personally by Thranduil himself.

The prince had no memory of his mother save in the many portraits that lined the royal family gallery. He would never know a mother's laughter, kindness, gentleness or wisdom or soothing touch whenever he was feeling down or ill. But his own father tried the best he could for him whenever he wasn't so busy with running the affairs of his kingdom. After the passing of his queen and disposing of his traitorous brother, Thranduil ran his kingdom with an iron fist. No one was to disobey his way of ruling, least they should suffer his great wrath, nor to try and pull anything that would endanger everyone's lives. He only cared deeply for the prosperity and safety of his people and subjects whom he ruled over.

But even then as peace fell over the Greenwoods for a fully five centuries, the elven king was ever restless. In his heart he knew that the enemy would reappear someday. This was the same enemy who tried to break the long line of the mortal kings of Numenor, killed his grandfather and pass into the darkness without any trace when the One ring fell into the hands of Isildur. The northern kingdom eventually fell into total ruin, splitting into two, Arnor and Gondor. What remained of this once proud and majestic long lived race, quickly diminished into ever wandering nomads without a place to call home or a kingdom to rule. The stewards of Gondor took up the mantle as ruling lords, but not as king of Gondor. That honor was only meant for the one who would one day come forth and claim his rightful place as their king.

King Thranduil was present when the last king, Eärnur, was taken to Minas Morgul by the enemy. How great and heavy his heart was when he learned the king had left behind a grieving wife and child. He had only just recently at that time suffered a great loss when he discovered what his younger brother did to his queen and recent mother of Legolas, but there wasn't much that he could do for the people who now were leaderless until the heir of Isildur grew to manhood and stood his own ground as chieftain to the diminishing race of the Numenorean people. He had to care and rule over his own people while trying to keep trouble at bay as much as possible.

Did that mean he was outright cold towards the Dunadain if they came to his kingdom, seeking aid and shelter? No, he offered his services gladly because it was something that his own father would have done if he was still alive. Even as he watched from afar during both dark and gladden times, the Elven king saw within them what he saw within his own heart.

Proud, regal, unselfish, kind to others who are hurt but swift with sword and death against the growing darkness of the enemy.

Ever did they push forward as the years from the time Eärnur had been violently taken from them, always hoping for a sign that would signal their time to rise and be whole once again would someday finally come.

Legolas saw all of this within his father's heart and he knew how great a sacrifice his father was doing by always being the overprotective one. He still remembered waking up one night as a elfling and feeling the change of the forest around him. The trees who first felt the creeping darkness quickly fell into decay and rotted where they stood. Spiders began to pour forth from secret ways underground, orcs and trolls slowly made their way into the forest as time passed and the shadow grew longer and darker, forcing all who lived within the once lush and green forest, to flee and to seek sanctuary within the stone walls of the Elven king. The prince had been terrified that night and he still remembered running to where he knew he could find his father awake during the darkening hour.

Heedless of the many royal guards that chased after him, he ran swiftly until he came to the great throne room where he found his father talking with his advisers and war captains. Legolas didn't care for them as he ran towards the throne upon which his father sat or possibly being reprimanded for interrupting a very important meeting, he only wanted to feel safe once more within his Ada's arms and smell the soft, familiar scent that his father always had surrounded him with since he was a babe.

Thranduil didn't yell or push his ion nen once the small elfling prince swiftly climb up the many steps that led up to him with his skinny legs and arms before climbing onto his royal robes. He merely sighed and smiled sadly while Legolas burst into to tears right there in front of everyone, telling them the grief of losing his tree friends to the darkness that suddenly loomed upon the forest. Thranduil allowed his son to tightly wrap his arms around his neck while he held him tightly against his body, strong, graceful arms holding him securely while he continued speaking with his subjects about that same darkness. But in the meantime, Legoals always felt safe around his father.

Even as he slowly grew into a teenager and starting training with various veteran captains, warriors and even under his own father, Legolas always thanked the Valar for keeping him in his life. He knew now that his father could have easily faded and passed into the west to join his mother, but he knew it would be unfair to leave their only son and heir to be subject to all possible dangers and maybe another kinslaying from either within or outside these stone walls. And so the Elven king lived strongly for their people, judging sometime unfairly, but needing to protect them. He gathered vast amounts of wealth to help keep things flourishing.

Legolas still remembered with fondness when Galadriel and Celeborn came to stay for a while with their woodland kin for a short time, she had made fun of Thranduil for showing off his coffers to her during a tour. She had said that though he may have a vast amount of gained wealth, she still had her fair hair that was worth more beyond what jewels and coin could buy. If the king had been stung by her remark, he never said so. But his son always thought that there was a hidden meaning behind her words of gentle jest.

A meaning that he believed that his father was still unraveling to this very day.

"Legolas?"

The prince opened his eyes and found his father had sat down on the edge of the bed beside him while holding him against his beating heart. "Is everything alright, _ion nin_?"

"Yes, Ada. I'm alright for now." Legolas sat up abruptly when the doors to the royal healing room opened and the two female paramedics, Christine and Lana entered with vials in their hands. They both were smiling brightly and cheerfully as they came up to his bedside. "I hope we were not interrupting anything important, my king." Said Christine while she took a hold of Legolas' wrist between her fingers and began staring down at her wristwatch.

"No, I was just leaving in fact for an emergency meeting." The Elven king replied while he stood up. Brushing his red royal robes, his sharp gaze fell upon the flushed face of Lana who was trying to avoid staring openly at him. "But I would like to talk to your partner, Lana, later over lunch today. There is something I would like to clear up with her." He added before gracefully exiting the room without waiting for an answer.

Legolas raised a perfect blond eyebrow at his father's retreating back. What was he up to now?

"Go figure." His keen hearing picked up Lana's very low mutter. He didn't say anything but show mild amusement as she checked his vital signs on the EKG monitor. "Everything seems well, Legolas." She said with open relief. "How are the wounds recovering?"

"Very well thanks to you two and my healers." He replied while she lifted his shirt to check for herself. It had been a few days since he had found himself alive once again and already the wounds were starting to heal nicely with hardly any scarring, save perhaps for the stitches that were still in place.

"If all goes well after another few days. I think we will be taking the stitches out much sooner then expected." Christine told him while she peered down at the healing wounds. "Are you eating well and drinking plenty of fluids as we told you to?"

Legolas laughed, his musical voice filling the room. "My Ada was my feed nurse so I don't think you two will have to worry about me not eating at all. Even with the simple broths that the cooks were sending up to me between meals, he made sure I ate it all until not a single drop was left."

"And what about you going to the bathroom and moving around on your own? Has that been improving as well or do you need more bedrest?"

"I go almost every hour and I can move around by my own accourd, but Ada is always there to help me when he is around. I can bath as well, but sometimes I still have a male servant around to help if it becomes too much."

Christine nodded while she wrote a few notes down in her notebook. "Well I'm glad to hear that you are on a healing path towards being well again. May I advise you on something after hearing the report from the head captain, Gruivuen."

"Sure."

The woman pulled a chair up and sat down, folding her hands in her lap. Lana remained standing. "I listened to what he said to me in regards to what took place between you and your father before you went on your wild killing spree against those monsters deep within the forest." She began slowly. Legolas figured where she was going with the topic but didn't want to be rude by telling her that it wasn't any of her business. He had made it their business when they found him in their world, was brought back here to Middle Earth by strange powers and practically died while they tried to save his life with their healing.

"I don't have a husband nor any children. Nor does Lana, here." She continued, gesturing towards her partner. "But we know the value of life itself. All that you have in materials, met life goals and such doesn't really matter if you are dead. In our world, we EMT's swear an oath to administer aid and save lives, regardless if they were criminals, killers, normal people like you and me, even thought I can see that you are an immortal elf. But we all want to live and heal. Sometimes you say thing that you don't mean in the heat of a verbal fight or do something stupid, but that doesn't mean that you throw yourself so carelessly in an act that you believe will make people notice you. Lana and I worked for four hours after you went into cardiac arrest. We saw you die and come back to life. We saw your father breakdown all his cold asshole barriers in front of his subjects and us two, as he openly grieved for you to come back to him. We may not yet know about how you guys live, what you wear, eat, do for fun or for serious situations, but I will tell you that having a life is more precious then to allow it to be squandered. If there is anything that you need or you want someone to talk to whenever you feel like you are bumping heads with your father or anyone else, feel free to just ask me or Lana. We will listen to you and not judge you unless we feel that you are doing somethings stupid."

Legolas never in his entire immortal life, felt humiliated by another's kind words. He realized that perhaps he should have listened to his father about not wanting to stretch thin their patrols over the deeper parts of the forest, but he didn't and look where it had gotten him. He had been fighting for his life twice and he owned it all to these two brave women who risked the wrath of his own father to save him. Legolas bowed his head as a lone tear fell down his cheek.

"I'm deeply sorry for bothering you with all of this." He replied softly. "But I am eternally grateful for your support, Lana and Christine. You two have my friendship and support as well as long as you two are staying among my kin." He smiled, looking back up at them.

"Kick ass once you are fit for taking out more orcs, Legolas." Lana laughed while gently shoving him playfully. "In the meantime, please just focus on getting better for yourself and your father. As much as I don't really like him for the way he treated me and Christine on our first day here, I know his job of being a father is his top priority, king or not."

"Speaking of which, I wonder why my father wishes to see only you later this afternoon." Legolas mused while he watched her face for any reaction. Lana's face instantly became deep red as she stuttered a reply, only to come out with nothing as her fists clinched themselves into two tight balls. It was only then that he realized how petite and slender she was, compared to his father. Her long hair was a deep brunet color with streaks of light brown showing within the soft tresses which was held back in a ponytail. She was pretty with fair, white skin, a few freckles dotting her nose, but it only lend to her cuteness, flashing green eyes and two matching dimples on both cheeks.

It finally dawn on the prince's mind that perhaps his father was enamored on first sight of this mortal woman and her strange ways of mannerism and outspoken thoughts. Hell, he heard from many servants and guards that she all but chew off his father's head while arguing at him for being "stupid, pigheaded and arrogant" when they had a job of keeping his son alive and well. He wasn't too sure how he felt about perhaps his father falling in love with this mortal woman, but if that is what Thranduil wanted, then there was nothing he could do about it except sit back and watch it unfold itself out.

Gruivuen suddenly walked into the room and stopped just short when he caught sight of the two women. He bowed his head respectfully before turning to Legolas. "You father asks that you at least take a look at a few recent reports on some orc sighting near the eastern boarders of the forest. He is worried that perhaps this shadow is starting to grow once more as outside reports that the golden forest is experiencing the same thing as well." He said while producing several letter packets in his hand. The prince didn't miss the small smile his captain threw towards Christine's way as she quickly excused herself to take a look at several patients down the hall.

So even old Gruivuen had the love bug, huh?

"Oh! and he also sends word to you Lana that you will be escorted around noontime to join him in lunch." The dark haired captain added on a high note. Lana's already red face got red to the point he swore it was going to turn a shade of purple. She mumbled an acknowledgement, saying that she will be presentable to the king while she side stepped her way out of the room after rechecking Legolas' vital signs.

Once the woman was gone and the two elves were alone, Legolas' forehead puckered. "Do you think my father is in love with Lana?" He slyly asked while Gruivuen sipped a small cup of wine he had poured himself. He was rewarded instantly of the captain choking violently on what he had in his mouth before he spit it up all over himself.

"My prince! Why would you say such a thing? He is an immortal elf and she is but a mere child within his eyes!" Gruivuen cried while he tried to find something to wipe up the mess all over his shirt.

"I was merely speaking my mind because I thought I saw an interested look in Ada's eyes when he was starting at her before he left." Legolas added with a gleeful smile as he added more uncomfortableness upon the head captain. "Then again, perhaps my young eyes are deceiving me due to the medications and heavy doses of healing that my body is undergoing." He added while appearing to be normal as he opened the reports.

"Or maybe you are just poking fun at me since you are not on duty for the next week or so, your highness."

Legolas merely smile more widely as he eyed the first report. His father may be a cold shouldered king with flashes of arrogance, but he tried to his very best for Legolas as his father. There was not exact proper way to be working duel roles, so one had to weather the wild storm until all was calm once again.

Legolas spent the next hour or so reading report after report with Gruivuen, but in the back of the prince's mind was an imagination what life would be like if his father allowed himself to fall head-over-heels for a particular green eyed paramedic in the coming days and months.


	5. Chapter 5

**_* I don't own any of the LOTR characters. Lana and Christine and Oc is of my own creation.-Ladystarlet09_**

 ** _(Adrenaline Rush)_**

Lana nervously stood within a very spacious room that was adored with various colorful tapestries, a few tables and chairs made out of fine oak, fur rugs and lounge chairs that stood near a balcony that overlooked a small rose garden below. Her eyes fell upon finely crafted figurines of various animals that sat upon a mantle piece over a burning fire place. She bit her bottom lip and glanced up at the guards that stood near the doorway. Nither gave any indication of moving from their places. Curiosity getting the best of her human nature, Lana walked over to the mantle piece and picked up a small squirrel statue. Tiny ruby stones were used for the eyes while everything else was finely detailed with the fur, facial expression and the way it tilted its head to once side in a cute matter.

Giggling like a small child, she gently put it back in its proper place before moving her attention to the other figurines. They were of various animals, elves and other creatures she wasn't sure some represented. However there was no denying how close attention had been played towards every single detail that had been crafted to make the small things come to life.

"I see you are enjoying yourself with my work." A deep, yet very musical voice spoke suddenly in the room. Lana whirled around, almost dropping a small bird she had been inspecting in the process, but her sharp reflexes as a EMT prevented it from falling to the floor.

Gone where the two guards that had escorted her to this room from earlier. Instead,standing in the middle of the room was the Elven king himself. His head was unadorned at the moment of his crown, save perhaps for a thin silver circlet that laid upon his brow. The king was dressed in a fine silver shirt with black pants and tall shiny boots. His royal ceremonial robe, a deep shade of blue that was adorned with various fine beads that shined like tiny burning stars when moving under the soft glow of the fireplace.

Thranduil's fair face frowned for a moment as silence fell upon him and the mortal woman. He took three graceful steps until he was standing a foot away from her. He held out his hand towards her, his eyes falling upon the small bird. "May I?" He asked softly.

Lana immediately dropped the bird into his waiting hand and took a small step back, smoothing her sweaty palms over the borrowed pants she had been given to replace her normal paramedic uniform. "Uh, its a fine afternoon." She said in what she hoped sounded like her normal voice and not that of a nervous woman who was along with the most beautiful man, or elf, alive. The king gave her a side look out the corner of his eye that caused her to flush a deep red.

"Yes, it is." He commented with a seemingly lazy air. Holding up the bird at arms length, he smiled. "I made this when I was still a teenager. The others were made by my own hand over the long years as well to represent what I found outside these walls." He sighed wistfully while putting the bird back in its place with the others. "But now most of my time is spent dealing with the growing darkness outside these stone walls, worrying about my only son and fighting the enemy day in and day out. Its like an endless circle that refuses to stop." Thranduil added darkly. He glanced up at Lana. "How rude of me to be speaking of this matter to you. I forget that you and Christine are not from this world and so you two do not know of what is currently going on here. He smiled tightly. Lana felt her blush grow deeper as he indicated her with a smooth node to take a seat in a lounge chair behind them.

"How are my people treating you two women?" He said while beckoning for two waiting servants to bring them some fresh water in silver cups. He waited until she had taken of the filled goblets. How dainty her hands seemed to be as the delicate fingers wrapped themselves around the slender base. And yet these are the same hands that worked so hard to save his only son and heir's life.

So small and yet they held a very powerful gift in the arts of healing. Thranduil felt the tips of his ears redden.

Why is he even thinking of such a stupid thought? That wasn't why he ordered her to join with him over lunch. He needed to know more about her and her partner and the world they came from. He wanted to know the lifestyle they lived, the culture, whether or not it was the same or not from this world. Then again, it deeply disturbed him how thrilling and attractive this mortal woman was in his eyes.

The moment he had laid eyes upon her after his guards had dragged her and Christine, bounded by the wrists into the healing wards, he saw the flash of spunk and independence within her green eyes. The way she sharply reprimanded him for not allowing her to keep watch over Legolas, how quick she was to become soft spoken when begging for his trust along as they watched his dying son. All of that made his cold heart seem like it was starting to beat again with a long unremembered memory of another who made him feel this way.

"So what did you want to speak about, my king?" Lana asked while taking a sip. He blinked several times to bring himself back to reality. She put the cup between her hands and lowered them into her lap while regarding him openly a look of slightly distrust.

Not that he could really blame her after getting off on the wrong foot with the formal introductions.

Then again, he did accuse the women of being witches, something that he wasn't very proud of saying after he realized the full impact of what his words had almost dearly cost him.

Thranduil sat back leisurely, one leg crossed elegantly before him while he regarded her with a cool mask of indifference. "I was going to call you here to discuss more on the matter of how you two appeared within my boarders." He told her honestly, eyeing her face for any outward reaction. He got none, save for a very slowly blink that made him think instantly of a cat.

"Okay, then if not that, then what is else is there to speak of?" Lana asked. She turned her head to stare into the burning flames. "Christine already told you what you needed to know several days ago. There isn't much left to tell you, with all do respect."

"That may be true and I'll keep us off that topic for the time being until you are more comfortably talking to me about your own world and people." He replied. Lana's eyes widen just slightly, but she kept the rest of her face neutral. "Another thing that I wanted to discuss with you is my son's health. I am deeply grateful for all that you two did for him that night. If it wasn't for your own skills of healing and determination of wanting Legolas to live again, I don't think I'd be sitting here right now beside you."

"You're thanks is very much welcomed." Lana smiled softly. "I can see now where he get his own determination/ stubbornness from."

That made the elven king reply in turn. "Yes, but he also gets it from his mother."

"Where is his mother?" She asked, unaware of the emotional pain that it brought upon him suddenly. "I have met you already, but not her."

Thranduil tried hard to not show his pain as he drew a tight breath inward before exhaling out slowly. His long fingers tighten around the stem of his cup while the other turned into a fist upon his lap.

"She is dead." He replied flatly, his blue eyes becoming ice cold.

All color drained instantly from Lana's face. "I-I'm so sorry!" She said apologetically, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I didn't know. I should know better then to ask such personal question even from you."

"No, its alright." He reassured her as his servants reappeared with two silver covered platters in hand. Glad that there was a moment of distraction to compose himself, he gracefully stood up with an outstretched hand towards Lana to help her to her feet. She shyly accepted it and allowed him to lead her to a table that stood near the balcony.

The servants placed one of the trays before her and lifted the top revealing a small salad, a roast leg of a chicken that was covered in soft herbs and light olive oil, a fresh baked bread roll that smelled like there was a little hint of honey and a small bowl of berries for dessert. Her stomach rumbled noisily, much to her distress, but the male servant smiled knowingly before giving her a small bow of the head before stepping away.

She wanted to dig in right away as she picked up her fork and knife, but better mannerism prevented her from doing so as the elven king very gracefully sat down. He had removed his robe, handing it over the back of his seat. Lana felt her cheeks grew warm once again as she watched him under her thick lashes fold his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing well toned muscles that rippled underneath the fair skin.

Combine that along with the slight opening of his shirt, revealing his throat and a hint of his masculine toned chest, she swore she was going to have a heart attack right there before she even began her lunch. She quickly averted her eyes towards her meal and began to take small bites to avoid looking like a ravishing homeless person who hasn't eaten for months. Sure, she and Christine were well fed, but they hadn't been eating anything that was protein for the past four days, so it was heaven to be eating poultry that tasted like melted butter upon her tongue. She closed her eyes, savoring the rich, moist meat as she chewed her food.

"I take it that you never had a excellent meal such as this in a very long time, Lana?" She heard Thranduil reply with a hint of laughter in his fair voice.

She swallowed her food, grabbing a small cup that held wine. "Its hard to indulge giving the line of work that I swore myself to." She replied before taking a deep sip. The wine was much stronger then what she was used to, but she kept herself composed while swallowing more until there was only one third left of it. Lana sighed happily as a strange warmth began to work its way from her neck downward. "That's really good ass wine." She smiled while continuing on with her meal. "I haven't drunk any alcohol for almost two years that I forgot the taste upon my pallet."

"Málon, what wine did you serve us?" Thranduil asked when he motioned for the elf that had served their meal.

A look of surprise passed the male servant's face as his forehead puckered slightly at the disapproving tone in his king's voice. "Its the usual one that you often have with your noontime meals, my king." He replied respectfully while glancing over at the flushed face of the young mortal woman. "Perhaps I should have called up a more mild beverage for her?" He gestured discreetly her direction as a tipsy giggle escaped her throat. She had poured more of the strong wine into her cup and was proceeding on drinking it in large gulps. How it didn't run down her throat while she did so, was amazing considering how loudly she drank it all back.

Thranduil waved a hand dismissively. "Go get some more cold water for us and perhaps some warm herbal tea for her to drink later, least this wine starts going to her head. If I hear any word of this outside this room, I'll be sure that you are no longer serving me personally from now on."

Málon bowed his head. "As you wish, your majesty."

The Elven king turned his attention back to his food and his seemingly now drunk guest who was giggling into her napkin. Normally, he would be highly annoyed but for some reason he didn't bother telling her to stop her antics while he worked his way through his lunch. Lana sighed after downing another cup of wine. He didn't drink any save for a sip from his own cup while he kept watch on her every move.

Cheeks flushed red, pink lips that seemed almost too perfect for kissing, deep and lush green eyes is what held in him a spell. He almost felt sorry for allowing her to drink four goblets of wine, but considering what she had been going through perhaps back in her world and slowly recovering from the shock of being thrown into Middle Earth with her partner, not knowing where they were as they were taking forcefully into his protection.

He waited until she was fully finished with her meal to speak up once again. Thranduil pushed his empty plate away and sat back, handing one arm lazily over the back of his chair while he regarded Lana. "So I am planning on having a celebration in the coming month that is to honor you and Christine's heroic deeds for saving my son's life. I would have done it without much regards to your feelings on the matter, but since you women are strangers to these lands and our culture, I'd like to give you adequate time to adjust accordingly."

"I think that would be much appropriate, your majesty." She replied with a slight slur in her speech while struggling to get to her feet. Málon had returned with a fresh pitcher of cold water and the herbal tea. Sitting it down on the table, he silently cleared up the empty platters before bowing his way out. Lana groaned while she held onto the edge of the table with both hands. "I don't feel so good right now..."

Thranduil clicked disapprovingly as he watched her legs wobble before sighing deeply. "I see that your body is in no mood of obeying itself after four and half cups of my very best from Lake Town." He said while catching her up into his strong arms while she swayed precariously towards the direction of the balcony itself. "Come, I'll set you down on the lounge couch."

He was greatly surprised how light she really was in his arms. Almost feather weight as he gently carried her bridal fashion towards the low lounge couch where he lowered her onto. "Who would have known that Dorwinion wine would have such a strong effect upon mortal bodies."

"I can think of other things that are very effective on us mortal women." Lana giggled, almost toppling off the couch if it wasn't for him kneeling beside her. "Its too hot in here!" She cried, trying to pull off her top. Thranduil firmly grabbed a hold of her wrists and pinned them above her head, preventing her from removing her clothes in front of his eyes. He didn't need such temptation running through his veins while he was alone with a mortal woman. He was the one who was always in control, no matter the sit-

"Kiss me."

The king's eyes widen ever so slightly as a perfect blond eyebrow went up. "What?" He said coolly, not sure if his sharp hearing heard her correctly.

Lana's eyes stared directly up at his. Her lips were parted slightly, breathing uneven as the intensity of the wine increased her body heat, causing her pale skin to become very flushed to a rosy hue.

"I said kiss me." She repeated with more boldness coating her voice. "I want to be proven that I am not dreaming about this strange world or your too perfect beauty."

"Its the drink that's making you talk irrationally, Lana." Thranduil said firmly as he trailed his free hand cover her collarbone. He heard the small, sharp hitch of her breath as he stopped just momentarily over the soft swells of her breasts that was covered by her shirt. He felt her chest rise faster and more uneven with each breath as he allowed his hand to linger where he had paused.

So this woman wanted to play with fire? Even in her heavily intoxicated state, he could easily see desperation within her green orbs.

She wanted proof by a simple kiss?

 _What was a simple kiss to you, Thranduil? She is only a mere mortal babe in your eyes and yet already you have succumbed to the strange pull of attraction to her the moment you laid eyes upon her. What is the Valar is wrong with you?_ A tiny voice spoke in his mind. _Its only a kiss, nothing more._

 _But is more to me._ He argued within himself while gazing upon Lana who was by now fully relaxed within his strong hold. He studied her face, noting the small, dark, tired circles beneath her eyes, the very faint lines of stress that seemed to be etched in her young face. Despite all of this, she was still very beautiful in human standards, just more independent and outspoken, something that he had deeply missed since the violent murder of his queen, beloved wife and mother of Legolas.

"One kiss only?" Thranduil whispered as he moved to hover above her while he realeased her wrists to support himself with on hand resting on the armrest above her head. Lana laughed outright before sobering up rather quick when he lifted a finger underneath her chin. His light blue eyes stared deeply into hers as his sweet breath fell upon her face. She could smell his masculine scent mixed with pinewood as he came closer until he was just nose to nose to her. Lana licked her lips with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

Thranduil's calm and collected expression turned into something that made her ached and hot inside. His smile was no longer the polite elven king from earlier. No, it held something that spoke of thousand of years of expert love making and pure seduction. Something that she could never imagine in her wildest dreams. Lana had only been with a handful of men in her short twenty-seven years since giving herself to her first boyfriend at age 16. They all had been great lovers, but none carried the dark and seductive air that this immortal being did.

"Are you sure about this, Lana?" He whispered softly against her ear. She let out a soft moan as he ran his nose against the sensitive part behind her ear. "Just one kiss to prove to you that I'm as real as it gets?"

"Y-y-yes." She stammered, closing her eyes from his memorizing orbs. It was too much for her to bear. She was drunk out of her mind. What crazy shit was she getting herself into?

"Then I promise once I do as you request, things will not be the same between us." Lana heard him say with just a touch of sadness. "I am aware that you will not fully remember what happened today between us, but remember when you are more sober that I hold you in the highest esteem of respect and honor. I will not force you to do anything that you deem is wrong or that you feel is against your will." Thranduil's breath fell against her neck that sent lighting bolts down her spin, his warm fingers gently caressing the inside of her hip but nothing else, least he felt like he was doing something that made her feel too exposed.

"I understand." She said softly with a sigh. That was all he needed before he dipped his head to once side, his long hair hiding them both behind a like a screen as his lips came into contact with her own.

What she had originally expected to feel was nothing to what she was feeling inside as he moved his lips expertly, nipping her bottom lip with his teeth until she moaned, lifting her arms and pulling him against her as he sought entry with his tongue.

It was pure adrenaline rush.

It race through her veins as she fought his need for dominance over her, but it was easily crumbling when she gasp sharply against his mouth, her body tensing when she felt the fingers of the hand that rested over hip, slowly slip underneath her shirt until they came into contact against her bare skin. Lana broke away from the kiss to gasp for air as her vision became blurry all of a sudden. She dimly heard Thranduil curse something in his tongue but couldn't focus on anything as the heat of her body threaten to overtake all of her senses.

She wanted him. She wanted to feel what it was like to be taken as a lover by someone who cared not only for her body's needs, but for her feelings as well.

Thranduil gently removed her arms around his neck while trying to regain his regal composer once more. She shook his very core with her natural allure that had his blood burning wildly within himself. Glancing up, he could hear footsteps walking swiftly down the long corridor before they stopped abruptly at the door. There was several seconds of exchange between his personal bodyguards and the person that sought for his audience.

"Its urgent business that demands the king's attention! Something very bad happened among the Dundain of the north as of a week's past and several of their kinsmen seek help and healing aid." He heard a familiar commander's voice spoke angrily.

"But the king demanded that he wasn't to be disturbed."

"Then I'm not moving until I am allowed to see him!"

"Peace, Nethon. Allow me to check first with King Thranduil."

There was a polite knock on the door. "You majesty, commander Nethon seeks your attention on an urgent matter." His bodyguard called through the door. "The northern dunadain seek your aid for help."

"Give me a moment." Thranduil called back in his usual cold voice while he stared down at Lana. She was falling fast asleep from the heavy wine as well as the combined sexual arousal she was feeling between them during the exchange of lovemaking. Her lips were slightly swollen from his nipping and her complexion was still flushed, but she appeared to be more calm now. He walked back to his chair and grabbed his royal ceremonial robe. With this, he threw over her before kneeling beside her. "Lana, there is an important matter that I must attend right away. I'm leaving you in good hands for the time being until I see you at another time. Sleep and may Elebreth watch over you."

She mumbled something incoherently before sleep quickly took a hold of her. Thranduil caressed her soft cheek with the back of his hand before tucking his robe more snug around her. She looked so peaceful now in her sleep, a far cry from the enraged woman he had first faced several days ago in the royal healing room. The Elven king put on his usual mask of emotionless facade while heading to the door. Opening it, he found his third commander in arms, Nethon standing with a worried look upon his fair face. He motioned for him to remain a moment while pulling one of his bodyguards into the room.

"Let Lana sleep peacefully until she awakes." he commanded him sternly. "I'm agfraid our best wine got the best of her so I found it necessary to put in her in a magical sleep to prevent her from becoming sick once she has awaken. If you need a healer to come check up, send for one. Other then that, just allow her to stay here. Send someone directly to me if something comes up."

"Yes, your majesty." The guard replied before bowing. "I'll keep an eye on her."

Thranduil took once last look upon her sleeping face, recalling how he felt when their lips came into contact. Shaking himself out of his revelry, he squared his shoulders and stepped out of the room. "So what aid is it that they seek from me, Nethon?" He said calmly while shutting the door behind him before the commander could see who or what was inside.

Nathon handed a sealed letter to him with his gloved hand. "Lord Elrond sends word that Arathorn, son of Arador has died from an orc arrow to the eye during an ambush attack upon his village."

"Valar help us all!" Thranduil cried in shock and surprise. "So the line of Isildur is broken!"

"No, it is not. Apparently he had a wife name Gilraen. They have a son who is barely even three years old. His name is Aragorn. The mother has sought refuge in Imladris under the protection of Lord Elrond. The line now lives in their only son. He is the heir of Isildur and heir to the throne of Gondor."

"So what does Lord Elrond want me to do? What can I possibly do for a mere child who's destiny is uncertain at the moment?"

The commander shrugged. "I'm not sure but he said you have a sworn duty to help the remaining dunadain who seek your help since you are closer to them. They are in desperate need of food, medical supplies, healers and possible restock on anything else that they might need to help survive the coming harsh winter. Orcs are still plaguing them as we speak. I am only here to deliver to you the news of ill tidings from lord Elrond. Anything else you command me or the others, is of your own will, King Thranduil." Nathon bowed his head respectfully to his king.

"Tell the others to join me in the throne room." Thranduil commanded as he motioned for his commander to follow him out. "We will speak more of this matter then."

"There is also one more request from Lord Elrond that he wanted me to tell you, your majesty." Nathon replied with slight hesitance.

"Yes, what is it?" Thranduil replied, turning around gracefully.

"He asks that you only speak of the child by his new name, Estel. He said the enemy is seeking out any remaining survivors that are linked to Isildur's line. They will stop at nothing once word gets out that the royal line continues. He said its the only way to ensure that his twin's people shall continue to survive until the boy is of age to take up his father's mantle."

Thranduil's heart went out to the human mother and her child. He knew what it was like to lose someone you held so highly in one's eyes. Even if it was possible that she might have foreseen her husband's death, it still didn't erase the gut wrenching pain as one stared down at the lifeless face of their beloved. Husbandless, scared, unsure of their only child's future, he knew that she would fiercely protect her son until her very last breath if any harm befallen him.

After losing his own beloved and struggling to continue living for their only son and heir, the Elven king knew too well what she was going through at the moment. But Elrond was right, he did own her people aid because of what his father valiantly did during the Last Alliance against the Dark Lord. Oropher gave his life so that others could continue to live, including Thranduil.

"Lord Elrond has my sworn promise over my father and queen's graves that I shall never address Estel by his true name until he is of age." Thranduil replied calmly. "You can send my reply with my royal seal stamped upon it, if that is what he seeks."

"Yes, your majesty."

"Also, send word to Legolas about the child. I think it would be a good idea for him to become a companion, protector and friend to Estel as he grows to manhood. Mortal children grow more swiftly, compared to us elves, which is all the more that he knows only love and kindness from those willing to give it. Once my son is fully healed to wield a bow and dagger, send him to Imladris for a month's time. I don't wish to have another near-death experience on my hands with his overbearing way of thinking. I swear he gets his impulsiveness from his own mother and not me."

"As you wish, your majesty." Nathon replied with a slight cough that hid his merry laughter. "I'm sure he will be more the happy to bounce out of here as soon as his legs can carry him over grass and tree."


	6. Chapter 6

**_* I don't own any of the LOTR characters. Lana and Christine and Oc is of my own creation.-Ladystarlet09_**

 ** _(Healing)_**

"Oww! My head is pounding so badly." Lana groaned as she gingerly sat up, head resting between her hands. "What the heck happened?"

"What happened is that you got drunk yesterday afternoon in front of king Thranduil." She heard Christine reply nearby. "I had become worried when you didn't return after an hour or so from your luncheon with the king, so I went in search of you and found you fast asleep here."

Lana peeled one eye open to find a disapproving look upon her face. "I don't remember getting drunk." She whispered as a wave of vertigo suddenly hit her. All color drained from her face as Christine grabbed a nearby bowl from a low table and held it under Lana's chin as she began to violently throw up.

"That is because you drank a very strong wine that would otherwise give you high levels of alcohol poisoning. What the hell do you think you are pulling shit like that, Lana? I thought you would know better then to allow yourself to become too relaxed."

"Can you please stop yelling at me? It hurts my ears and head."

"I'm not yelling at you. I am speaking to you normally."

"Then shut up."

There was a knock on the door before it swung open. "Excuse me Christine, but the king has summoned you to join his master healers in the throne room. He said that they are need of your skills."

"I can't, my friend needs me at the moment. She isn't feeling very well at the moment."

"The king said he will attend to her himself." The elf said while stepping to one side to allow Thranduil to walk in. He took in the image of Christine holding the bowl of puke under Lana's still reachting form with a slight look of concern before it disappeared behind a mask of indifference. "I have several mortal women and children that just arrive at sunup this morning. They are need of some care from my healers, but I believe you might want to take a look at a few of them who are more seriously injured."

"And what about my partner?" Christine gestured with her head at Lana. "I can't believe that you allowed her to put herself in such a fashion. Why didn't you stop her if you knew she was going to become heavily intoxicated?"

"I didn't know and I felt that perhaps she would like to drink some of her troubles away. But I assure that I'll be withholding any wine beverages while she is with me in the future." Thranduil replied while stepping further in. "I need you with my healers now."

"Fine." Christine sighed in defeat. She placed the bowl in Lana's hands. "Here, you will need it. I'll be back to check up on you later after I deal with our patients."

"I'll try to join you later." Lana mumbled. "I don't want you doing all the work."

"Just take care of yourself until you are fully sober. I don't want you to be making any mistakes while you still have alcohol in your system." The EMT shook her head while grabbing her medic bag on the way out. Thranduil gingerly sat down on the other side of the couch while Lana remained sitting upright, head bowed over the bowl.

"Send for a female servant to go get her personal toiletries and clothes from her guest room." The king ordered one of his men. "She is in no shape to be moved anywhere until her body is fully purged of the wine."

"Yes, your majesty." The guard withdrew, closing the door behind him. The others raised eyebrows at their fellow comrade. "What?"

"The king seems to have fallen head over heals for the young healer woman." One of them grinned widely.

"Then its none of our business to poke our noses where it doesn't belong." The bodyguard sniffed as he walked away to go find an available healer.

Meanwhile back in the room, Thraduil was busy wiping a cool cloth over Lana's brow as she continued to throw up in the now rinsed out bowl. Her whole body shook violently as he continued to pat her brow, murmuring soothing words of comfort.

"Shit!" Lana panted as she laid herself back down. "I have never felt like this, no matter how much I drink alcohol." Throwing her arm over her eyes, she groaned as her stomach began to churn.

"It will be a while until you feel sober enough to sit up on your own." The Elven king said. "Meanwhile, I can bring you to my private room where you can bath yourself and rest."

"I don't think that is a good idea. Your people will think otherwise if I accept your offer." Lana protested.

"Then let them talk what they may. I am their king and they have no right to say anything disrespectful about you at all being under my care." He countered coldly. Reaching out a hand towards her, the king offered one of his rare smiles. "Come."

Lana stared up at him. Something in the back of her mind stirred at a faint memory, but at the moment she couldn't recall what exactly it was. Still unsure of herself, but wanting to ride herself of the horrible stench of alcohol and sweat, she slipped her hand into his and allowed him to lead her out of the room and down several corridors that eventually led to a very large double door with silver etchings of elvish runes and leaves. The female guards who were posted on either side, raised their eyebrows in mild surprise, but didn't reach otherwise as their king pushed opened his doors with one hand. It wasn't any of their business what the honored guest who had saved their prince's life was doing with their king. They only smiled politely upon Lana as she gave them a nervous smile before being pulled inside.

Inside, her breath was taken away by the richness of everything within. A large four post bed stood at one side the of the room, rich dark red draperies pulled back by finely woven gold spun ropes, matching blankets, sheets and pillows upon the bed itself. Seven large cabinets stood on the far side of the room next to a full size mirror that she guessed Thranduil used everyday to make himself perfectly presentable before going about his royal duties. A large glass displayed several different royal crowns for every occasion imaginable sat on the other side of the full length mirror as well as a small vanity which held his many personal jewels. A large bath that could easily fit up to six people at once stood within a separate room that had low burning candles that stood within square carved stone outlets.

But there wasn't any portraits of his deceased wife that hung on the walls, save perhaps one of Legolas dressed in all light blue pants and shirt while holding a finely crafted bow and arrow within his fair hands. Four large windows overlooked a vast view of the city below that gave the beholder an bird's eye of what was going on with the various elves who lived within the kingdom.

A large bath that could easily fit up to six people at once stood within a separate room that had low burning candles that stood within square carved stone outlets. There were various sized glass bottles that held different colored liquid and some fragrant soaps nearest to the water spout. It was in here that Thranduil lead her in after grabbing several towels from one of the closets and left her there to bath in private without saying a word.

"This is a very nice place." Lana told herself as she quickly stripped out of her soiled clothes, dumping them in a wicker hamper basket that stood near the door. She turned on the water and plugged the hole with the wooden stopper as the hot water poured into the bath. She selected one of the bottles after opening several to smell and see what kind of liquid they contained before pouring a rose scented that she found was a bubble bath into the water. Lana waited for the water to come half way up the bathtub before slipping into the hot water with a sigh of relief.

"Ahh, this feels so good." She told herself while closing her eyes. Her hangover headache still lingered but it wasn't as bad as when she had awaken earlier.

"My lady Lana?" A soft female voice spoke up from behind the closed door after knocking.

"Ah, yes?" Lana called back while grabbing a soap bar and cloth to begin scrubbing herself down.

"I have brought your uniform and underclothes back from the washing area. We were ordered to also bring your personal toiletries as well in case you needed something that we cannot provide. I left it on the bed when you are finished. If you need anything, I'll be waiting outside."

"Thank you, much appriciated."

"Of course, its not a problem."

"Oh, before I forget, what is Chrstine doing with the other healers?" Lana asked, recalling that her friend had been summoned to help with some injured people who had arrived earlier in the morning.

"I'v been told that she is busy helping saving several of the northern dunadain who came here by the secret elven path in seeking for his majesty's help for the injured and sick. There are mostly women and children who have come here, but there are also a few rangers who were gravely attacked during an orc raid upon their village a week ago."

"I think it would be easier if you come in here and talk to me then rather through the door." Lana replied with a deep sigh. "I kinda can't hear you through the door."

The wooden door opened, revealing a tall red-haired elleth dressed in a simple blue dress and white apron. She bowed her head sightly at Lana. "Forgive me, I forget that you are mortal and do not have the keen hearing of us elves." She replied with an apologetic smile while she walked in and sat down upon a wooden bench. "My name is Edweneth. I am one of the many servants that serve the king and his son."

"Well you already know my name, but anyway its Lana Rollans." Lana smiled, holding out her hand towards the elleth who looked at it puzzled before recalling that this was one of the strange greetings that she had previously encountered with the other mortal Christine a few days ago. She accepted it warmly before sitting back. Lana returned to scrubbing herself down before tackling her hair next. "So how many injured and sick are there?"

"Around sixty or so. The children are suffering from fever, the women are too drawn in their own grief for their loss of their husbands, some injured with mild to moderate weapon wounds or emotional trauma. There are several of the male rangers who are suffering too, but our healers are working hard with giving them aid. Those who are not injured have been moved to guest rooms for rest."

"Sounds like everyone has their hands full while I'm in your king's personal bath, having the time of her life while I should be helping my partner in triage the injured." Lana muttered to herself with guilt. "Do you think you can get my medical supply bag that's underneath my bed in the guest room that you guys put us in?" She said out loud to Edweneth. "I want to go help as soon as I'm done with my bathing."

"I can do as you ask, but his majesty said that you are to rest because you were not well this morning." The elleth protested as she got to her feet. "I don't think he will be pleased if he find you up and about."

"Then send someone to tell your king that I have a sworn oath to treat anyone who is sick, injured or whatever else. I may be not feeling well, but that cannot get in the way of what needs to be done." Lana replied with a hint of anger.

"As you wish, Lana." Edweneth replied as she stepped out of the room, closing the door. Turning around she found Thranduil standing in the room, his lips set in a thin line as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"There is no need, Edweneth." He held up a finger when she opened her mouth to explain herself. "I heard the young woman. If she wished to treat the sick, then so be it. I will not prevent her from her sworn duty. Go get what she needs from her room and then await to escort her to the healing house where the dunadain rangers and their women and children are being treated."

"Yes, your majesty." The elleth bowed deeply to her king before swiftly departing. Thranduil sighed, his fair shoulders falling from the weight of his duties to his people and the dunadain rangers. He didn't expect so many of them to arrive in such a desperate state. The women were grim and quite as they filed behind the injured rangers on tired horses, the children all too quite as well in fear of upsetting their mothers or those who took them into their care. He supposed it was because of the shock that still lingered upon them all of the sudden loss of such a great chieftain such as Arathorn. He had only been in his middle sixties when he was killed. Much too young to leave behind his people, young wife who was barely even twenty-eight years old and a mother to a three year old boy who now held the royal line of Isildur on his young shoulders.

"So young." He murmured to himself while going to one of his high windows and looking out at the blue skies above. "Will this darkness not leave the innocent alone? Will we never see possible peace among all of the free people of Middle Earth?"

So much death had lingered upon his memory ever since he last saw his father fall upon the lands of Mordor, fairest elf king who gave up his life willingly without a single selfish thought. Oh, how great his heart still cried out for his Ada, long dead friends, family and his long departed queen every time he awoke in the middle of the night from his constant nightmares. Only seeing his son's face alive and well was the only thing that kept Thranduil going from day to day as the years passed on swiftly.

"Are you alright, your majesty?" A soft female voice spoke from the doorway of the bathing room.

Turning his head ever so slightly, he found Lana wrapped up in one of the large towels around her slender frame, long wet locks flowing around her like a protective shield as she stared up at him with a knowing look within her green eyes. She bit her bottom lip before taking a few steps until she was several feet away from where he stood. "You are worried that you cannot do enough for them, aren't you?" She told him sadly. "I know that feeling all too well when once of my patients die while under my care. We try so hard to give them something to hold on to, a hope that they can find the will of wanting to live, be with loved ones, to fulfill desired life goals and so on. But none of it matters when they lose the will to fight in the end."

"How many did you lose, Lana?" He asked in an unrecognizable voice. "I have lost so many lives beyond count in my several thousand plus years of living upon these shores."

"In my whole career as an New York Paramedic for the past seven years, I can count almost fifty-nine lives. Some were from gunshot wounds, stabbings, alcoholic poisoning, car crashes, sever illnesses, cardiac arrest, and whatever else that happened." Lana replied with a slight catch in her voice. Hot tears began to fill her eyes. "I tried my very best to save them all every time I was faced with death, but there was nothing I could do once I saw their heart pulse fall into flat-line. The worse part for anyone who works in the medical field is having to tell the surviving next of kin that their loved one had died while trying to remain calm and collect as much as possible as they break down in emotional pain and tears within your arms. Sometimes we face deep anger, denials, confusion and breakdowns." She wiped away the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "But if you are wondering how we can possibly deal with such loss or moments of hopelessness, we often look at the positive side of doing what we love and sworn to do for the sick." She continued on. " We save lives everyday, become examples of hope for the younger ones who look up at us as everyday heroes who risk our very lives and continue to heal/rescue anyone we can save. Those we lose on the way to the hospitals, we just give them our respective silence and a small prayer that they didn't suffer and those we don't, we EMT's help until they are in safe hands."

Thranduil was silent as he returned his gaze back out the window. There was small knock before Edweneth opened the door with the large medical supply bag in hand. She sat it down beside the bed awaiting by the doorway.

"I have to get dressed and go help out my partner, your majesty." Lana told him while grabbing her freshly pressed uniform. She was surprised how carefully it had been handled by whoever washed her uniform, despite it being something completely strange and different to them. She got a small nod of reply from Thranduil who remained standing, back rigid and straight as his ringed hands remained pressed upon the windowsill. Lana withdrew back into the bathing room to dress and braid her damp hair.

"My king, Christine is requesting perhaps of pulling up her carriage closer to the healing rooms so she can have better access to her supplies." A guard suddenly appeared a the door with a bow. "She also askes perhaps of access to the herb garden as well."

"Permission granted." Thranduil replied while gracefully pivoting on his booted heel. "She may use whatever she needs from the gardens as well as the stocking room where our medical supplies are being held."

Another guard appeared beside his comrade, panting heavily as he quickly bowed his head to their king. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but one of the dunadain asks to see you at once. Apparently he is a royal messenger who was on his way Imladris to deliver something very important into Lord Elrond's keeping when he was waylaid upon the eastern pass through the Misty mountains by an wild warg pack. He seeks your personal help on the matter."

"How does the messenger fare?" Thranduil spoke just as Lana reemerged from the bathing room. Both guards gave shocked looks upon seeing her in their king's personal room but they were quickly brought back to full attention when Thranduil said something sharp in Sindarian.

"I fear he is near death from very grave wounds to his abdominal area. That is why he is desperately seeking your presence before he passes on. Even as I speak, the dunadain ranger hands barely by a mere thread." The guard continued in the common tongue so she could understand what was going on.

Thranduil turned to Lana with an emotionless expression. Only his blue eyes gave away the many emotions that was going through him. "Can you help us by possibly preventing him from dying so that I can know what he wants from me?"

Lana grimaced but nodded her head. "I'll do the best I can to help ease his pain and suffering, but I will not promise that he will survive long enough to say anything to you, depending on the extent of his injuries." She replied while grabbing her supply bag. The guards came forward to help her carry it, but she stubbornly shook her head. "No, I got it." She told them while reaching a hand into one of the front pockets. "Here, give this to Christine." She said to the first guard, dropping the paramedic truck keys into his palm. "This goes to our truck."

"Yes, my lady. I'll deliver it to her right away." He swiftly departed. Thranduil motioned her with a finger to follow his guard and Edweneth to a small room where the dying messenger laid upon a bed, bloody bandages covering his middle torso. She thought he looked much too young to be dying as she laid her supply bag beside him and withdrew a pair of latex gloves. The young man's skin was a pale grayish color as he breath laboriously, the rise and fall of his chest uneven.

Three other male elf healers were working on applying medicine to a deep gash in his left side. "I'm going to give him an injection of liquid vicaidine to help ease his levels." Lana told everyone as she quickly filled a syringe with 20 millimeters of it. She cleaned a spot near the inside of his elbow with an alcohol pad before locating a good vein to push the medicine in. After administering the pain med, she moved onto assessing his wound. She lifted the bloody bandages and found that whatever had cut him open, it had gone very deep to the point that it had punctured his kidney, half of his digestive track as well several critical arteries.

Face very grime, she quickly worked on sew it shut with heavy sutures before checking his pulse. "Young man, can you hear me?" Lana called out t him while she checked his pulse manually. "My name is Lana. I gave you some pain medicine to help ease the pain you are feeling. I'm here with King Thranduil whom you asked for."

The messenger's eyes fluttered open, revealing deep sea grey eyes. "My...king..." He said between gasps for air. Thranduil came forward until he was within his line of sight. He reached out and placed a hand of comfort upon his brow.

"Peace, tell me your name first, young one." He said softly, blue eyes showing rare kindness.

"Dahurin." The messenger replied softly, closing his eyes as a sharp spasm of pain ran through him. "Forgive me, king Thranduil...I was waylaid in the mountains while traveling with a group of my kin to Rivendell..." He reopened his eyes and looked up directly at the Elven king. "Orcs were awating us at the end of the pass...we fought hard while trying to prevent them from stealing the king's heirloom that I was bidden to guard with my life by the late Arathron..." Tears slowly slipped down his blood and grim covered cheeks. "I failed my errand to my king and his remaining kin...I failed the line of Isildur..."

"No, you did not fail, Dahurin." Thranduil replied firmly, squeezing one of the dunadain's hands. "What did you have in your keeping that had been entrusted by the late chieftain? Tell me so I can help as best as I can."

Lana put on her stethoscope and listened to the dying man's heart. "We don't have much time, your majesty. He will be gone in a matter of minutes from now if you keep having him use his remaining strength."

"No, its alright, my lady." Dahurin shook his head sadly. "I am a mere forty-seven years old in the eyes of my kin. There are still those who have hope for the young boy."

"Don't speak openly of that." Thranduil replied sharply as he cast a look of warning upon everyone who was present in the room. "Now what did you have in your keeping that you were going to send into Elrond's keeping?"

Dahurin drew a shaky breath that violently rattled his whole frame. Lana tried to protest, but Thranduil held his hand up to silence her as he stared hard into his eyes. "The royal sword that is broken... and the ring of Barahir..." Dahurin's whole frame suddenly shook violently. The male healers jumped forward to restrain him from falling off the bed while Lana swiftly checked his vitals. Then just as suddenly, a long sigh escaped from his mouth, his body going limp as his grey eyes remained staring up at the ceiling above. Lana laid her stethoscope on his chest, slowly counting to ten silently in her head before removing it from her ears.

"He is gone." She said with a heavy voice while closing his eyes and mouth with her hand. "Rest in peace, Dahurin. You served valiantly even to the very end." She whispered softly. The healers pulled a white sheet over the dead body before stepping back to awaited their king's orders as he remained standing, still holding onto the royal messenger's limp hand within his own.

It seemed like a eternity before he finally moved, gently slipping the limp hand underneath the sheet. "Look for the captain who came with the survivors and tell him that we will bury this young man according to the ancient ways of their people. If he wished to prepare the body among the women according to their customs, don't stop them." Thranduil replied as he turned away. "He served Arathorn ever to the end, despite the loss of what he had in his keeping. When all is well, we shall hold a feast in his honor."

He walked out of the room, leaving Lana behind starting sadly after him as she stripped off her bloody gloves and discarded them in a trash basket. She gathered up her medical bag and supplies and followed him out into the corridor with Edweneth following close behind at her heels.

"Thranduil." She called out to him without proper formal title. He turned back to her, his light blue eyes cold while his mask of tight control laid upon his fair face once more. She bowed her head at him. "Please forgive me for asking, but what are the heirlooms he spoke of before he died? I'm afraid I didn't follow what was going on."

"They are the royal heirlooms that are proof of their leader's right to becoming king of both northern kingdoms Gondor and Arnor." The Elven king replied as he began to swiftly walk. "The sword that is broken is the one that was used to cut the one ring from the dark lord, Sauron's hand and it broke into several pieces, no longer to be used for many long centuries until its time for it to be reforged by my kin. The ring of Barahir is a token of elf friendship between the house of House of Finarfin and the royal numenoreans who came to his aid upon these shores." Lana had to trot fast to keep up beside her with her heavy medical bag in hand which was swiftly caught within the hands the guard who had alerted the king earlier of the dying messages. They came to a private study room where Thranduil entered.

He walked up to a low table and poured wine from a crystal bottle into several glasses which he handed out to her, the guard and Edweneth before picking up the remaining one. He walked gracefully to his desk and sat down upon his chair while sipping the wine in silence. Lana took a seat that was near a burning fire place and played nervously with her wine glass while the other two remaining elves stood standing.

"This is ill news now that the heirlooms of Isildur has fallen in the hands of the enemy." The guard spoke up. "We must go after the orc pack that ambushed the royal messager and his escort at once and retrieve them before they are delivered into the hands of the Dark lord."

"But why didn't Arathron send them to lord Elrond when his son was born upon long tradition of his royal house since the fall of the northern kingdom?" Thranduil spoke with a hint of frustration coloring his fair voice. "Now they could be anywhere while in the hands of the enemy!" He slammed his hand upon the desk, making everyone jump in fright. "Rawon, send for Gruivuen at once. Tell him that I have an urgent mission that only he can carry out. Don't say anything more least word shall get out about the missing heirlooms."

"Yes, my king." The guard drained his cup before swiftly departing in search for the third in command elven captain.

"Lana, are you in fit condition of perhaps traveling with me?" Thranduil suddenly asked absently without looking up at her. Lana exchanged perplexed looks with Edweneth.

"Pardon? Travel?"

"Yes, I need you by my side in case we have injured elven warriors or come across people who need our aid."

"Uhh...I don't think I'd be able to handle it..." Lana replied with open hesitancy. She wrung her hands together. "But if you need my help, then I see gave no other choice."

"Your partner can come as well if you that eases your mind." He allowed. "But we must depart within three days time because time is the utter essence. You two will be under my full protection and I can assign several of my personal captains to keeping you two safe if we come across any danger along the way."

Lana gulped and raised her glass to her lips, downing the whole thing in one dip as the door opened, revealing the third captain. He bowed deeply to Thranduil before flashing her a kind smile. "You called?"

"Yes, we have a major problem on our hands that involve the house of Isildur." The Elven king replied as he stood to his feet. "Apparently the heirlooms have fallen into the hands of the enemy while being in transport to Lord Elrond's keeping by a royal messenger of Arathorn a few days before his death. He and his escort was waylaid upon with a pack wild wargs scouts and they took them from him during the heat of battle killing all, but somehow he managed to remain alive despite his fatal injuries until he came with his surviving kin to my kingdom. He just died not too long ago after revealing this to me."

"Great Eru help us all!" The captain cried in distress. "What shall we say to Lord Elrond? He will be beyond anger once word about the missing heirlooms of Isildur reaches him."

"Which is all the more that we go and retrieve them before they fall into the hands of the Dark Lord. As little of value they may seem in the eyes of mere ordinary men, these hold a high price and value in his eyes. This is the key that holds all title and claim to the empty throne of white city Gondor. Without them, the remaining line will have nothing to hold valid claim when he comes of age in the eyes of the dunadain. I want you to ready an army of several hundred strong that prepare in three days time. The remaining army shall stay here to guard my kingdom against any of the enemies both within and outside these boarders. Also send a plea for added reinforcements to Lord Celeborn as well."

"And as for his wife? She is well known for seeing things ahead."

"Tell her if you must in a secret form of a letter only for her eyes alone."

Gruivuen nodded his dark head. "What about lord Elrond?'

Thranduil rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Let me handle that one. We will search along the way until we reach Imladris. Until then, you are sworn to secrecy over this mission. You are to not tell anyone why we are departing save that we are needed by lord Elrond. If I hear anyone breath a word about this, the punishment is death."

Lana paled upon hearing the king's words. He glanced over towards her way. "Even I hold this upon you and Christine." Thranduil said. "Understand that I cannot take any chances with anyone. I have a duty to protect my people first above all but sometimes it extends to the royal house of Isildur as well during this time of grave danger."

"I understand fully and I swear to not speak of anything I heard." She vowed honestly. "Besides, you forget that we are strangers in this world."

"Then all the more that I hold you to your own word, Lana Rollans." Thranduil replied, using her full name. Another knock came swiftly upon his door.

"My king! A wizard has just arrived at the main gate and seeks entry into the kingdom!"

"Who is it?" Thranduil replied with a low growl. If only the day could get worse then it already is now. How many more sought his council and protection.

"There is actually two of them, your majesty." Came the apologetic reply from another. " Mithrandir, the grey and Radagast, the brown."

"Lovely timing." Thranduil almost sneered with a roll of his eyes. "Wizards and their need to meddle into everything that happens among, man, elf, dwarf, orc and others."

"Your majesty," Coughed Gruivuen as he tightly suppressed a chuckle at the look of disdain on his king's face. "Don't you think they would be of great help since they are powerful wizards and who would be able to possibly aide our mission?"

"Yeah, maybe you should give them a chance, Thranduil?" Lana agreed with the captain. "If I know anything, I hear wizards are often great help in times of danger."

"I can't believe I am actually willing to listen to you two when I am the king who rules this land." Thranduil replied with a sigh of defeat. "Then again, I know that perhaps they would understand perhaps how you two were transported here from your world since they are not of this world either, but of higher power and beings who saw the shaping of this world." He told them in an undertone before speaking up louder. "Fine, allow them to enter and give them both a welcoming hospitality until I am able to see them in private."

"As you wish." They heard the guards depart. Edweneth sighed in relief, Lana stared down at her empty cup, wondering how it was she came to be here, Gruivuen told his king that he must depart to speak with the other captains and write up the letters for Celeborn and Galandriel for their swiftest royal messager to deliver personally into their hands, and Thranduil rubbed his aching temples between his slender fingers.

First the unexpected death of Arathorn, son of Arador, then whatever scattered remaining northern dunadain seeking shelter and aide sought the secret elven path into his kingdom which revealed that the enemy somehow managing to get a hold of the royal heirlooms of the house of Isildur, and now two old wizards came knocking upon his very door, seeking answers to whatever it was they wanted from him.

Oh, and then there was Elrond to deal with. As kind and mild tempered as he appeared to be on the outside, Thranduil knew from many long thousands of years of experiences as both friend and war comrade that the half elven son of Eärendil and Elwing, great-grandson of Lúthien and Beren, twin brother to the first king of Númenor, Elros Tar-Minyatur, wielder of the elven ring, Vilya; still had that human part of him that still hid a smoldering temper that would often arise to rare occasion.

And when it did, there was little that any creature great and powerful could possibly do to shield themselves from it.

Only once in his entire mortal life had Thranduil personally witnessed such great slumbering anger arise and that was during the fall of Gil-galad, last High King of the Ñoldor during the war against Sauron during the battle of the Last Alliance. Elrond had tried vainly to pursue Isildur to throw down the One Ring into the fiery pits of Mount Doom after they had temperarly defeated the Dark Lord upon his own lands. But the mortal king, for all his personal pride and greed, refused and had walked away from Elrond without looking back, thus making it Isildur's bane.

Elrond had become angry to the point that he almost drew his sword upon his own distant relative, but Círdan the Shipwright who had lead his own strength against the dark forces, stayed his hand, telling him that there will be a time when men would remember from wens they came from. Thranduil remembered seeing Elrond sitting upon a small hill that overlooked the great carnage and thousands of dead orcs, elves and men upon the vast battle field, his deep sea grey eyes full of his anger and pity for the mortal royal line that linked him as their immortal relative.

So to help ease the pain of betrayal for what Isildur had done against him, Elrond took full responsibility upon himself of raising his descending heirs of nephews and nieces as his foster children within the safety of the last Homely house in the west; ever seeking to teach them the right and wrongs of what their forefathers had done so that the same mistake wouldn't arise if the one ring was ever to be found and remind them that they were still very much precious to him above life and sword.

Thranduil shuddered inwardly at the possibility what Elrond would say or do once he learned what happened to his kin's heirlooms. He prayed fervently to the Valar that the noldorian lord would forgive him the ill tidings he was responsible to bringing to him once he manages to reach the elven outpost because if Elrond didn't, he would most likely see a sword appear in his hand before he could even blink twice and his own head rolling upon the fair stone steps.


	7. Chapter 7

**_* I don't own any of the LOTR characters. Lana and Christine and Oc is of my own creation.-Ladystarlet09_**

 ** _(Crossing The Line)_**

Lana and Christine both sighed from their respective war horses as they followed behind Thranduil as he sat proudly upon his massive war elk. It had been three weeks since they had departed his kingdom within the darken forest of Mirkwood and already both women were heavily weary and sore from almost constant riding in the saddle.

"My ass is sore and I think my inner thighs are chafing from all the hard riding." Lana complained as they came to a stop by a stream. She kicked her brown mare with her legs, wincing as she did so. The mare nickered softly as if laughing at her rider while swiftly trotting to the stream to take a much needed drink of water.

"I know how you feel, girl. But we agreed to come along and help as much as we can." Christine replied while pulling her horse along side Lana's. Her body was weary, but she was alert with everything around them. They had been ridding hard across the plains, killing small orc parties along the way with the small army the Elven king had massed. Much to the dismay of Lana, they didn't find what he was looking for so he had no other choice but order everyone to kill any who posed a threat long their journey.

"How do you think his son is faring so far, Lana?" Christine asked casually while handing her partner her water pouch. "He seems to be in better spirits since we talked to him."

Lana shrugged, sighing heavily. "Now that his wounds are fully healed, I suspect he will be wanting to continue on with whatever it is he wants." She replied as her eyes fell upon Thranduil's form several yards away. He was talking with his commanders and captains with Legolas sitting upon a white horse beside his father. She smiled as her eyes caught the similar expressions father and son wore. "Then again, I don' think he will ever want to go on a wild adventure without consulting with Thranduil, least he should cause his father to have a heart attack."

Gruivuen walked through the crowd of soldiers up to them. He bowed his head slightly, smiling. "The king says we are to camp here for the night. We shall continue on towards Rivendell instead because he isn't sure if it would wise to hunt more orc packs and not expect larger ones to appear."

"So how long will it take us to make it to this place you speak of? I can't take anymore of riding my horse until my legs come off." Christine asked while dismounting her horse.

"It will take about another few weeks before we are able to make it through the passage of the hidden paths." A tall old man dressed in all grey with a tall brown staff in hand replied. His keen eyes fell upon the two women as another old man dressed in all brown and carrying a similar staff to his own, hurried to catch up to his companion. "It seems like a higher power has guided you two to this world." He continued moving his gaze from one face to another. "You are yet to discover what paths each of you shall follow during these darkening times, however I feel in my heart that much is to take place between now and then."

Lana stared down at him with a look of confusion. "What do you mean, old man?"

"He does have a name, young lady!" His brown companion sputtered, offended by her lack of manners. "You are speaking to Gandalf the grey. I am Radagast the brown."

Cheeks turning bright red, she quickly got down from her horse and made a small curtsy to them both. "Forgive me, but king Thranduil failed to introduce me and Christine to you both when you had arrived back in Mirkwood." She said apologetically.

Gandalf snorted, muttering something under his breath about the lack of manners from Thranduil and his court. "It was probably for the best until I and Radgast decided to meet you two ourselves." He replied before swiftly walking away.

"What was that all about?" Christine asked Gruivuen who had taken a hold of the two horses's reins. He shrugged. "Wizards are strange people who often speak in larger riddles then us elves. They are often very powerful, quick in temper when its aroused, yet very merry as children once you get to know them. We often enjoy the company of those two compared to the company of the leader of their order, Saruman."

"Oh." Was all the woman could reply as he motioned her to follow him. Lana hung a little ways back, observing how quickly the other soldiers were working on errectng tents and fire pits to prepare the evening meals. Several royal guards were already beginning to set up a much larger and richer tent which was obviously for the king and his son in the middle of camp with the others surrounding it from all sides. His war elk and Legolas' horse were free to roam around for water and green grass.

She looked around for the king, but didn't find him as they passed through. Gruivuen eventually stopped beside the royal tent and worked on freeing the war mares of their saddles. "He is having a special tent being set up beside his own for you two. So go ahead and just enjoy yourselves cautiously while we prepare everything."

"And what about a much needed bath?" The women asked him, pointing to their dust and mud covered clothes.

"There is a spot that's hidden from eyes not far down that stream. Have several female warriors go with you to keep an eye out of unwanted eyes or the enemy. Its not well advice that you should lower your guard even thought we have several hundred strong here." He left them after hearing someone call his name. Christine sighed while going for some fresh clothes that were packed in her saddle bag. "I can't wait to close my eyes in peace." She groaned as her lower back began to ache. "I don't think I'll ever get used to riding a horse after all of this."

"I'm totally with you on that." Lana replied while glancing down at her watch. It was almost past seven in the evening. "Lets hurry with our bath first. I think I smell of horse and sweat." She suggested while grabbing her personal items from her own saddle bags.

Once they got what they needed, they looked for three elleth warriors who seemed to be relaxing by their tent nearby. After hearing that they needed someone to guard them while taking a bath in the stream, the three elleths agreed, saying that they too wished to bath a little bit before supper was to be served.

Meanwhile, Thranduil was taking council with his son under the privacy of some oak trees not too far away from camp. "Three more weeks time, we shall be riding beneath the gates of Rivindell." He said softly while his son rubbed his aching shoulders. "And we shall be facing Elrond's wrath and quite possibly Estel's surviving parent as well once she gets word of the failed mission."

"He will understand, Ada." Legolas comforted him. "After all, Elrond knows that we will keep searching for them until they are returned back to their rightful place within his house."

Thranduil closed his eyes as he felt a particular knot slowly start to loosen up beneath Legolas's expert fingers. "Aye, but not before he has my head. I swear that old elf sure knows how to have an terrible temper on his human side. I remember how swift he was in punching me in the face after he found out I had swapped the sugar for the salt when we were younger. My black eye didn't go away for weeks time after that." He laughed, remembering how fuming the young lord had been when he discovered his favorite cookies were not sweet, but rather very salty.

"Ada?"

"Yes, what is it, my little greenleaf?"

"Are you or do you have strong attraction to Lana?" Came the very innocent question.

Thranduil's eyes flew open and he swiftly turned around, forcing Legolas to pause in the massage. "What makes you think that?" He countered with a look of disapproval in his blue eyes. "She is a mortal woman and I'm an immortal elf king."

"Well, yes that's true, Ada." Legolas replied as he gently forced his father to turn back around so he could continue on with his work. "But my eyes see otherwise when I see you looking at her whenever you think I'm not paying attention." An amused grin spread across his fair face, his matching eyes twinkling beneath the cover of darkness. "Did you two share something that I'm not aware of?"

"Legolas, you are most precious thing to me above all else." Thranduil replied in a deadly tone that he only used when him and his son were not seeing eye to eye. "But what you see is just a mere friendly exchange. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Yeah...well I heard from some of the healers that she has been turning deep red whenever you have her come to keep you company." He squeezed a part of his father's shoulder that had been bothering him, causing the king to yelp at the sharp pain. "Sorry, Ada. It seems like this knot doesn't wish to go away."

"Well this upset king and father wishes that you cease talking about such nonsense." He replied irritably. "Why don't you go help some of the captains with their horses and leave me in peace until supper."

"Yes, Ada." Legolas lightly jumped to his feet, placing a kiss upon his father's cheek before swiftly running off in the direction of the camp in a happier mood. It was so easy for his beloved son to have such a gay side even during dark times such as these.

Thranduil sighed and rubbed his shoulders with both hands while craning his neck side to side. Ever since that night when he had fulfilled Lana's drunk request of kissing her, he had become troubled with dreams filled with the memory and the sweet taste of her soft lips beneath his own. She had been very drunk during their heated kiss, but he knew that she was aware of how her body was responding to his lovemaking. He remembered feeling the rise in body heat, the low groans of pleasure as he deepened the kiss, how tightly she clenched his body against hers, trembling beneath his expert fingers as he had trailed them long her skin and hip.

"Your majesty?" He heard someone softly call out to him suddenly. "The royal tent is ready."

"Thank you, Maluon." Thranduil replied with a hard cough and his usual cold mask to hide his embarrassment of being caught unaware. "I shall be there soon."

"Of course." The elf replied as he left the king in peace once more. Thranduil let out a growl of frustration as he angrily kicked at a fallen log with his booted foot. "Damn her! Why am I attracted to such a small, frail thing?" He said to himself while clinching his head between his hands. "Such attraction is only filled with bittersweet unions."

"So you may chose to think, Thranduil, son of Oropher." A deep voice replied softly. Looking up, he found Gandalf standing nearby, leaning on his staff while keenly looking upon the elven king. "What troubles you so, my king? Is it because you have fallen in love with that lovely young woman?" He asked kindly while taking a seat beside Thranduil without asking permission. He made a low grunt once he managed to get his bottom on the low log. "These bones are growing more older by the day." He muttered while withdrawing a long stemmed pipe from a leather bag that he carried with him. A tiny flame emerge from his finger as he held it against the small bowl, blowing on the stem until a thin blue wisp of smoke began to curl forth into tiny rings.

Once the wizard was satisfied with how much smoke was emerging, he let out a weary sigh and kicked out his legs upon the green grass. "So as I was saying, does she hold a strong favor in your seemingly cold heart, Thranduil?"

Keeping his cold mask of indifference in place, Thranduil snorted. "Perhaps, but what does it matter? She and the other woman isn't even from this world. They don't know the dangers we face, how we live in near constant vigil against orcs and other foul creatures. If it wasn't for me or even my son, I doubt that they would even be able to survive past a single night upon these plains." He gestured a hand towards the busy camp. "Even as we speak, I have almost every single elf warrior keeping an eye on them while we make our way through this journey."

Gandalf was silent. He puffed away at his pipe and stared up at the bright stars that were slowly starting to emerge in the sky above. After a while had passed, he spoke again. "Then perhaps you should allow your feeling for her to blossom. Perhaps there is something beyond the purpose that she had been brought here by the will of the Valar. Maybe she was meant to come into your life so that you can begin to heal from long wrought wounds that were inflicted by your brother. Already your son and heir has easily become friends with someone who has powerful healing abilities within her fair hands. Don't you think its high time perhaps that you allow your pride to die down a little bit and perhaps you relearn what its like to truly live life to its fullest? I heard many great praises from your people on how she and Christine were able to bring your son back from the abyss of death through their gifts of healing. I believe Lana is a wise choice that you have been bestowed upon by the higher powers of Eru himself, you just don't' fully realize it yet, king Thranduil."

"Are you talking riddles with me, Mithrandir?" Thranduil replied with a frown. "Or is this truly what you believe you see in the young woman?"

"Valar help me with having patience for your foolish ears and mouth!" Gandalf cried as he got to his feet. He glared down at Thranduil with his eyes, making the elf king feel like he had indeed said something rather foolish to someone who had the power of making him practically disappear from the face of Middle Earth. "Thranduil, I have seen what I have seen within the woman's heart and mind. She is full of kindness, love and a wisdom that sets her well beyond her own mortal years. Yes, it may seem very bitter to you for having such strong affections for someone like her, but think of the more positive sides of such a union. Your son will have a mother again after being long suffered of growing up without his own, you will have a queen and wife to love and protect and your people will be alive and happy of seeing you show the former warmth that you once displayed so long ago. If you don't think I am talking truth, then perhaps you would like to hear it personally from a particular elf lord who resides in Imladris who has gone through it and witness it for himself."

Thranduil's ears began to turn red at the tips. "I'd rather try to avoid that if I can, Mithrandir." He replied hastily. "Its bad enough that I'm putting myself on the line to tell him of the stolen heirlooms in person."

 **"THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF FOR ONCE AND JUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO CROSS THAT LINE, KING THRANDUIL!"** Gandalf's voice boomed unnaturally louder then normal, making him flinch as his warriors looked curiously towards their king and the grey wizard. "You should not fear the unknown if you don't know what the final outcome is going to be, your majesty." Gandalf replied in a much kinder voice. "I may be one of the Istari that traveled across the seas from Valinor with my Order to help aide you people against the growing darkness, but also remember that I bring healing within my wake as well. Not all has to be full of despair and darkness that I cannot help in anyway that I can, even for you, Thranduil." He reached down and placed a wrinkled hand upon the king's shoulder. "Be at peace and just follow what your heart seeks."

Thranduil bowed his head respectively to the wizard before watching the old man walk away back to camp. He took a deep breath, exhaling out as the sound of light female laughter caught his sharp ears. He looked around for the source before his eyes felling upon a small group of elleths who were accompanying Christine and Lana for a evening bath by the looks of the various clothes and toiletries in their arms. Jumping to his feet, he swiftly intercepted them before the group could go any further as they passed him unawares.

"My king." The elleths bowed deeply as he came into their path. He nodded, signaling them to be at ease as his gaze fell upon Lana. As normal, her cheeks became its usual deep shade of red, her eyes darting away from his as she bit her lower lip between her teeth. Christine raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"I would be greatly honored if perhaps you two women would please join me and Legolas for supper in my tent." He said smoothly while his red tips of his ears gave away his embarrassment. The female warriors did well in not showing their open shock and amusement behind carefully placed blank masks. "There is something of importance I would like to discuss privately." He added to help give a reason for them to agree. "I will have one of my captains come get you once all is ready." Thranduil said firmly to prevent them from backing out.

 _I am being so stupid with this whole love thing. Why am I even listening to such crazy advice from Mithrandir? He may be older then I or even my forebearers, but he doesn't know what love is._

 _Care to repeat that, Thranduil?_ A sudden familiar voice broke through his mind. The elf king's gaze went towards the camp where he found Gandalf looking at him by his own tent with a look of slight anger in his eyes.

 _Er...well you didn't exactly arrive with a wife and child to these shores, so how would you know what love is?_ Thranuil bravely defended himself as his whole face turned red.

 _Doesn't mean that I don't know what love is._ The wizard scolded before turning to go inside his tent. _I left someone dear to my heart behind in Valinior before I left its don't insult my advice when given unless you have a death wish upon your eternal soul.'_

"Of course we can join you, your majesty." Christine spoke up for herself and Lana. "We were just on our way to freshen up a bit after a hard week upon a horses back. We will be back within an hour." Lana started to protest, but was cut off when her friend punched her with her elbow in the rib. The female group moved onward while Thranduil silently watched the swaying backside of a particular mortal woman. Clinching his fingers into tight fists at his side, he turned back towards the protection of the oak grove and walked inside, seeking to abate his sexual desire for Lana in a more personal fashion that he hadn't done since he hit adolescence before having to face her once more within his powerful presence over supper.

Meanwhile, Gandalf and Radagast both sat within their tent on their respective sides, smoking on their pipes and discussing their next move in search of the precious heirlooms of the house of Isildur. If all went well in finding them before Thranduil reached Imladris in a few weeks or so, Valar willing with safe passage through the secret way, there would be no need for Elrond's human temper to be unleashed upon his own house.

Or so they fervently hoped.


	8. Chapter 8

**_* I don't own any of the LOTR characters. Lana and Christine and Oc is of my own creation.-Ladystarlet09_**

 ** _(Elrond's Wrath)_**

"Wow, I'm full as hell." Lana sighed, pushing back her empty plate. The elven king's table had been happily filled with plenty of rich and tasty food. "That was very good, your majesty."

"You are welcome." Thranduiel replied while taking a sip from his goblet. He reclined back into his seat, lazily eyeing the women with a slight bored look on his fair face. "I hope the food was to you're liking, despite what meager supplies we may have different from my usual royal table."

The younger woman's cheeks became flushed as she accepted more wine from a nearby servant. "Food is food." She replied. "Back in our world, we often have to budget everything and not be picky on whats on the table." She looked over to find Christine was already becoming droopy from the food and wine, her head slightly nodding off as she tried to fight off sleep. "We have been traveling for three day, your majesty." Lana continued the conversation in a lower tone. "How much longer until we catch up with the Orc pack who have the royal heirlooms?"

Thranduiel dismissed his servants with a wave of his hand before frowning deeply. "We are more then perhaps five to six days behind them. But if we keep up the pace that we have, it will be no problem to any of us since we are used to traveling swiftly at necessary speeds." A small snore from Christine broke the silence while Lana absorbed what the elven king said. Legolas stood up from his seat, going to the front and calling for a female elleth warrior to come escort Christine to her tent. He glanced up at his father's face. "It would be of help if perhaps you send word ahead to Lord Elrond of whats happening. He will not be pleased if word came elsewhere other then from us. Don't forget that though the royal line is short on his side, he still has full rights to them since he is direct descendant on the elven blood side."

"Like I need any more reminders, _ion_." Thranduil replied darkly. "If we are unable to reach the pack by another two nights from now, I will send word to him then. So you will just have to deal with whatever orders I give until that time draws near."

"We might not have much time considering that Isildur's heir and his mother will be arriving soon in Rivendell, Ada." Legolas argued softly. "I suggest no more then another day or else we will be more then just facing the orc pack's wrath. Or have you forgotten how bad Elrond's temper is on his human side?" He added with a small smile and a twinkle in his blue eyes. His ada's identical eyes glared balefully up at his son's face.

"Thank Eru that you are my son and not one of my soldiers for saying such crass things to me or else I would have had you flogged." He said tightly before swiftly composing his face behind a mask of indifference as two elleth warriors came in with small mummers of apologies as they tried to get Christine to her feet between the two of them.

"Always threatening me so heartlessly, Ada." Legolas laughed before draining his cup. "Sleep well, Ms. Lana." He smiled at the human woman. "And make sure that Ada doesn't talk your ear off too much before the wine get to his head."

"Le-go-las" Thranduil slowly pronounced his son's name syllable by syllable between clenched teeth. "Out!"

"Yeah, It's my turn to take watch anyway, Ada." The prince replied with a laugh as he swiftly departed. Lana shook her head at the father and son bantering. It was so interesting to see how prim and polite these two acted publicly, but behind closed door, they were a whole another story that left her intrigued in how they could live two separate lives but still find time to have small father and son moments.

The Elven king sighed. "I swear my natural silver hair will become more silver then necessary with that boy of mine." He said while getting to his feet to pour more wine into his goblet. "Would you like some more, Lana?"

"No thank you, M'lord." She declined. "I think I will need a sober head tomorrow if we are going to be picking up pace as you said." She added with a soft yawn. Thraduiel stared down at her, his blue eyes intense with the inner longing that he was morally fighting within himself. It was just so tempting to take her by his charms and seduce her into his bed, but his cold heart was't willing to do such a thing. Not after enduring almost four thousand years of being without a queen and single hand raising his now fully grown green-leaf by himself with the help his most trusted advisers and royal servants. Eru, he didn't even know if he could still remember what it was like to truly love from the heart outside of the physical aspect.

"Are you feeling alright?" He dimly heard Lana softly say from far away. He shook himself from his inner thoughts.

"I am sorry. I must be more tired then I let on." He tried to laugh as she gave him a look of concern. "Get some proper rest." He told her, steering her gently towards the entrance. "We are leaving after the first light of dawn and I don't wish to tarry anymore then I have to."

Lana nodded before silently and shyly placing a small kiss upon his fair cheek before hurrying out of the royal tent before he could react. Thranduil's hand came up to the cheek she had kissed him on. His feelings for her were growing fast. How could one mere mortal woman possibly reduce a powerful Elven king such as himself to mere adolescence memories?

"My king Thranduil!" Gruivuen called urgently outside. "There is a white horse that fast approaches our camp!"

"Dear Valar, do I not get a single rest for a mere few hours as king?" Thuranduil growled as he grabbed his sword that rested near his bed. He swiftly emerged to find that several of his men were rapidly speaking among themselves with looks of fear upon their faces while pointing at a tall figure that drew near upon a fair white horse.

An all too familiar white horse.

 _Oh shite._ The Elven king thought inwardly with dread. _This is not good. Not at all good._

Gandalf and Radagast were already approaching the figure who drew back his hood, revealing raven dark hair that held no ornament upon his fair brow. Thranduil felt like a mere six hundred year old child that did something he wasn't suppose to again as he forced himself to swiftly walk up to the elf lord who wore the darkest look imaginable.

 _Yup, definitely not good._ The Elven king told himself as he kept his cool mask in place while being faced with a growing aura of pure anger from the lord of the hidden valley. "Lord Elrond, how unlooked for it is to be graced by your unexpected presence here of all place." He politely greeted Elrond with a tight smile. "What brings you out here?"

 **"WHAT IN MORDOR DO YOU THINK BROUGHT ME ALL THE WAY OUT HERE, THRANDUIL?!"**

Everyone, even including the two wizards themselves, all cringed upon hearing the anger in the Nolorian's angry voice.

"Now, now, Elrond." Gandalf quickly stepped in before any possible bloodshed could happen right there and then. "Why don't we all go in a more private setting where we can all talk like decent grown-ups that I am sure you two still are."

Elrond glared at him. "How is that you could not send word to me swiftly of what happened to the heirlooms, Mithrandir? Do you not realize how much time has slipped since word came to me?"

The grey wizard coughed several times, muttering under his breath about the stubbornness of elves as he vainly tried to steer Elrond towards the royal tent. "Come Thuranduil!" He called to the Elven king like a berating parent.

"You forget whom you address, Mithrandir." Thranduil replied darkly as he followed the wizards and a visibly upset Elven Lord to his tent. "Sheesh, Elrond. Can you please just calm down so to not cause a scene on front of my men?"

The renowned elven healer turned his darken gaze upon the Elven king, deep grey eyes flashing like thunder, his face darken with a scowl that all but had Thranduil running for the hills if it wasn't for his own inner strength of not having his old friend embarrass him in all who witness the whole ordeal. "Give me one single good reason why I shouldn't run you through with your own sword, Thranduil?"

"If you do, Legolas will have to be the one to rule in my stead and I don't think he is ready despite already being close to Arwen's own age."

"Don't bring my daughter's name into the picture!"

"Please, Elrond." The Elven king smirked as they entered his tent. "Surely, you think merely threatening me can possibly help find the royal heirlooms of your brother's people?" He cast himself upon his chair, sitting back lazily while studying Elrond intently. "Seems like your feathers have been more then just ruffled by the unfortunate news of the loss. Please accept my apologies for being rude towards you but you looked as if you wanted to kill several thousand orcs with that angry look alone."

"Mitherandir, what do you suggest we should do?" Elrond rubbed his temples between his thumbs. "I cannot spare my twin sons at the moment for they are back home keeping watch Estel."

Radagast snorted. "What can we do other then chance the warg pack down, my lord?" He said, rolling his eyes. "If anything, I can send some birds ahead to scout the areas for us."

"That would be good a suggestion, brother." Gandalf nodded in agreement. "But make sure that they keep themselves hidden since we don't want the enemy to know whats developing since Arathorn's unexpected death. There is too much at stake for anyone to take unnecessary risks to retrieve the heirlooms of Gondor." He cast Elrond a dark look from under his bushy eyebrows. "That includes you since you are the guardian of Vilya and it must be kept hidden from the enemy's grasp and hearing."

"Its not like I wield the one ring, Mitherandir." Elrond replied in a very low tone of voice. "But I cannot and will _not_ just sit idly by while those warg packs have the heirlooms in their stained hands. By my own birthright as heir of the high Elven kingdom, its my sole responsibility to see that they get passed down to my brother's heirs. As long as I draw breath, I will not rest until they are safely retrieved, one way or another."


	9. Chapter 9

**_* I don't own any of the LOTR characters. Lana and Christine and Oc is of my own creation.-Ladystarlet09_**

 ** _(That was...Akward to say the Least)_**

Within the tent, the long silence was too strained with high tension for everyone who watched the silent battle of wills between the Nolorian Lord and the ElvenKing. The latter was casually sitting back in his throne, one leg carelessly propped on the armrest with a cup of wine casually held in one hand while the other rubbed the pommel of his sword, a tiny smirk resting upon his lips. Elrond had remained standing, refusing to take a seat as he silently stood before him, his fair face showing his obvious wrath. Lana and Christine were silently seated between the two wizards while Legolas stood obediently behind his father's chair. His face was somber for the sake of his father's pride, but everyone could easily see the glee lighting up his deep blue eyes as he tried to keep himself from laughing at the obserdity of his father's devil-may-care additude towards Elrond who looked like he was going to go on a murder spree at any second.

"So please tell me why you didn't send word right away about the heirlooms, Thrandy?" Elrond on purposely used the Elvenking's nickname just so he can see the irrtation cross Thranduil's face for a split second. The two mortal women started to giggle, covering their mouths behind their hands while Legolas smirked. Thranduil shot his son a hard look that instantly caused the prince to cease. "Sorry, Ada," He muttered while starring hard at his feet.

"I was hoping to gain on the pack and get the heirlooms back before there was any word had gotten to you, Elrond." Thranduil replied, turning back. "I didn't know that word traveled so swiftly." He added with a grimace. "I was hoping to avoid this kind of situation."

"Well then," Elrond huffed stiffly. "I see what kind of friend you're being! If it wasn't for Galandriel informing, only Eru knows what could have been kept from me. Honestly Thranduil, do you think I wouldn't find out one way or the other? Its my responsibility to have those in my keeping and guard them until the next heir of Isildur has grown to adulthood and therefore I would have **GREATLY APPRECIATED IT THAT YOU HAD SEND WORD MUCH SOONER THEN RATHER WAIT TO GO ON A DAMN SUICIDAL QUEST!"** Everyone winced at the loudness of the healer's angry voice. "And how were you planning on telling me once you had them in your keeping anyways?"

Thranduil just shrugged a shoulder. "I was going to personally deliver them into your keeping once I had them," He said before sipping his wine. "Really Elrond, why are you even losing your temper when its obvious that I had it all under control to begin with."

"Makes me look like a perfect saint for all the times that I was constantly fighting with my older brothers growing up." Christine laughed. "Who knew elves were just as bad for it?"

"I don't think you should have said that, Ada," Legolas whispered into his father's ear as the whole tent began to feel a tad bit too stiffuling for everyone to bear as Elrond began to sputter.

"Shut up, I know what I'm doing."

" **UNDER CONTROL?! UNDER CONTROL WITH WHAT?** Do you even realize what will happen if my adopted son doesn't have those heirlooms to prove who he is to his own people when he comes to manhood?" Elrond yelled angrily while pacing back and forth before the amused Elvenking. "How would you feel if you didn't have anything to prove your son's birthright?"

"Well he has his hair and my eyes for one, so there is no need to prove much because its all genetic based."

"You're impossible! Absolutely impossible!" The Nolorian lord glared daggers at Thranduil. "So I have a one year old heir of Isildur in my home that is without his birthright, a grieving mother who is trying to remain strong for the sake of her son's survival and you just sit there, telling me boldy that you don't care."

"I didn't say that at all. I said that I was going to go after the pack and get those heirlooms back and safely deliver them to you personally once it was done."

"And all the while I wouldn't have gotten word about what had happened at all?"

"Oh boy," Lana shook her head. She glanced up at Gandalf who was smoking away at his pipe. "Are you not going to intervene sire?" She softly nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "Elrond looks like he is about to have a straight up stroke from his anger alone. I already can tell his that his blood pressure has overshot himself."

"No need to worry yourself, child." Gandalf replied lazily with a chuckle. "That's just his human side talking right now as far as the tempter. He will eventually calm down at some point." Radagast mumbled to himself about lack on control tempers that didn't matter between elf or mortal. "Then again, we're wasting time arguing anyways about this when the wrag pack already three days ahead of us," He added outloud for the two lords to hear as he got to his feet. "While you two are fighting like little spoiled elflings, they're getting closer and closer to the enemy with proof that Isildur's line has endured through the long, dark ages. Why can't you two just put aside your differences for once and talk reasonably about the situation?"

Thranduil's face became a light shade of red while Elrond folded his arms across his chest and stared impassively out the tent entrance, his face impassive.

"You will find that elves are just as stubborn as mortal man, ladies," Gandalf rolled his eyes, heaving a deep sigh. "Once you have them fighting over silly things such as this, be prepared that it will last for many days before they even reach an agreement."

"Well especially since one standing right before has half human blood in his veins and a bad temper to boot," Lana said. She glanced out the tent to find that there were a few soldiers who were trying to appear like they were busy at doing whatever business that was occupying them, but were really trying to get a ear of what was taking place within the royal tent. _Well, it seemed like elves were just as bad with eavesdropping as humans when it came to drama._ She mused to herself. _Go figure._

"So what now?" Thranduil spoke up after another long, tense moment of silence. "You're here and so that tells me that your sons must be back home watching over the child and mother while you came risking your old neck across many leagues to catch up with me." Swiftly before anyone could possibly react, Elrond swiftly drew for his sword and held the tip right under Thranduil's throat with a dark look in his eyes. "Be glad that I'm not mortal or else things would have gotten very bad between us if I had been in far worse mood." He replied. "I took an oath to protect those heirlooms, even if it does cost my own life so that my twin's descendants could be able to rule wisely."

"Yeah and look what happened to Isildur in the end, my friend." Thranduil slowly move the sword away from his throat with a finger. "Mortal kings cannot be made to obey rules that have been passed down from father to son. They have to want to chose to make the right choice. And believe me that I know that you will do your best to teach the child as much as he needs to know, but someday you're very well aware that once he reaches that point of his life where you need to tell him the truth, that even if you didn't have the royal heirlooms, he will have to chose his own desinty to want to take up that mantel and become king." Thranduil grimaced at the look of pure pain and agony that cross the other elf's face as he allowed his words to sink in for a moment. "He will be a man within a blink of an eye before you know it, Elrond. I have seen you foster all the heirs over the long ages and try to teach them the rights and wrongs of being a king, but every last one of them were given choices to want to become that leader. Just like you and your twin were given the choice to choose which race that you wish to remain with. What makes you think that Estel will be any different once he faces his destiny? Have you ever thought that perhaps maybe that one day one would chose to be forever exiled and become a mere shadow of a myth that faded long, long ago?"

"There will be a king once more someday in Gondor, Thranduil," Elrond softly replied as he sheathed his sword. "I have foreseen it, but Estel's future is still partially shadowed with the fact that the enemy is still after his life and that he is only a child."

"Then what will you do now, Elrond?" Gandalf chose this moment to cut in. "We have the pack ahead of us by three full days and it will take much more resources to be able to catch up with them before the heirlooms falls into the enemy's hands."

"Maybe I can get my animal friends to send word amongest themselves near and far to try and waylay the pack somehow and hinder their speed?" Radagast pipped up as well. "I'll send a messenger bird back to the Dunadain that are patrolling the area that the pack is heading towards to aid us as well."

"Brilliant idea Radagast!" Gandalf beamed happily. "That is the best thing I have ever heard in a long while since we came to these shores!"

"So you're saying that I haven't been much of help at all since coming here, Gandalf?" Radagast glared up at his older brother under his bushy brows. Now it was Elrond and Thranduil's turn to chuckle as Gandalf tried to form a corhherant reply while choking on his pipe. "I'm supposing that you would have preferred perhaps Saruman's advice instead of mine!"

"Well now, hmmm," Gandalf hastily waved the comment aside. "To be perfectly honest, I'd rather had preferred to keep him out of this _particular matter_ for more secretive of my own, old friend. Saurman might be wise in matters of metal and such, but not when it comes to things such as Isildure's linage and the affairs of a forgotten memory of men."

"Oh really?" Radagast raised an eyebrow. He got to his feet swiftly, much to the girls surprise for someone who was so old. He drew himself to his full height, matching Gandalf height for height as he stared at him directly in the eyes. "Well let me tell you something," He said, poking the other wizard in the chest with a finger. "I may eat weird things that anyone else may normally not eat and do you know why I even do it?"

"Er, because you enjoy them?" Gandalf weakly replied while looking over at the elves for help. They merely smiled at him but made no inidication of coming to his aid. He glanced back at the indignant face of his fellow istari brother. "Then again, I wouldn't be surprised since you often did it anyway in Yavanna's gardens anyway in the West."

"I do it so that I can come up with ingredients that man, dwarf, elf and any other creature can use for healing purposes, Gandalf! And do you know what else? Yes, I like to keep to myself a lot with my animals, I may sometimes come out of my forest every several years to help aid you or the council, or check on whats going on in the world, I know that I'm not as handsome you or the others," He stabbed each sentence into the grey wizard's chest until Gandalf was forced to take a few backwards steps. "Then again, you never were a ladies man to begin with anyway back home!"

"Now that's not true! The women always liked my company!" Gandalf cried. "I never had any issues with getting them to begin with!"

"Oh my word! What such denial! If that was the case, who did you bed last before we came to these shores during our goodbye celebration?"

"Errr, let me think for a moment about that, Radagast."

"Please do! Because I clearly remember that you were pitifully crying over your cups because some golden haired lass dressed in red didn't want you flirting with her after you outright spanked her bottom with your newly gifted staff! And as far I knew, you didn't get to bed a single Istari woman because I head that you had size issues."

There was a sudden loud peal of laughter that rang throughout the whole tent from everyone around them. Gandalf shot a hot glare which went unnoticed as everyone was bend over in laughter, trying to picture this tall, old bearded man sitting at a bar with a pint of mead while crying.

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"If such is the case, then why did you need me for me to get you those special shrooms from Yavanna's secret garden to help aid you in the bedroom?" Gandalf shot back angrily. "You can't even keep a woman in your bed without having her scream when she sees you acting all weird!"

"I don't act weird!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"That's not what your guild master told me every time he came screaming that you blew up his laboratory while laughing like a crazy gizzard that you are!"

"Ha! Says the person who kept crying every time the other color istari's kept pulling pranks on because you refused to even stand up for yourself and I had to be the one to get you out of those situations!"

"This is getting really awkward yet so fucking funny at the same time, Lana," Christine managed to somehow wheeze as she fell backwards onto her butt, holding her sides with her arms. "I'm dying!"

"Hahaa! I know right? This soo much fuckig better then watching Kevin Hart or Dave Chappel on BET channel!"

Elrond sidled up next to Thranduil "Did you know about any of this yourself?" He whispered in Sinarian out the side of his month while Legolas tried his very best to compose himself but was failing miserably as he kept bursting with laughing every time he looked at the two arguing wizards who had by now forgotten everything that was going on.

"No, but now i know what to use if he tries to blackmail me into doing something that I don't want to do!" Thranduil chuckled before draining his wine cup. "So when do you want to set out after the pack?"

Elrond swiped the wine cup from him, filled it with what's left of the royal wine before tossing it back in one long gulp. He shook his head, grimacing at the slight bitter aftertaste before tossing the cup at Legolas' way who caught before it even hit him on the head. "As soon as these two child wizard are done with their own little petty argument." He replied while making his exit from the tent. "I'll be resting for a while over a meal. Call me when you're ready and don't think I'll easily forgive you for not telling me sooner about this matter!"

"Like I would even dare try with you constantly reminding me from now on as long as we're behind the damn wrag pack trail." Thranduil muttered darkly to himself as he got to his feet to relay his orders to his men outside. It was going to be one hell of a long travel with not only two bickering wizards, but also an extremely pissed off Rivendell lord who was hell revenge bent on spilling orc and warg blood with his sword once they caught up with them and retrieve Estel's birthrights.

He was just praying that he wasn't going to be in the line of fire when all that went down


End file.
